


Cry Havoc

by JensenAckles13



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Apples of Idunn, Asgard, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Awesome Jarvis (Iron Man movies), BAMF Loki (Marvel), BAMF Tony Stark, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Extremis, Family Drama, Fluff, FrostIron - Freeform, Golden Apple, Good Loki (Marvel), Hurt Tony Stark, Idiots in Love, Immortal Tony Stark, Immortality, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) is a BAMF, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) is a Good Bro, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki Feels, Loki has a heart, Loki is Not the Enemy, M/M, Mind Control, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Odin's A+ Parenting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Mind Control, Saving the World, Thanos is a dick, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2020-09-27 17:02:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20411245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JensenAckles13/pseuds/JensenAckles13
Summary: Tony and Loki knew each other...before.Before the Avengers formed, before Tony became Ironman, before everything went to shit.And then Loki brings an army into New York and suddenly, 'before' isn't the only thing that matters and no one cares that Tony Stark is in love with the guy that's invading their planet.But, as is the way of Tony Stark's life, they quickly learn of a bigger, badder threat hell bent on snapping away half of everything. And he needs Loki to do so.Tony's number one priority? Keeping Loki out of Thanos's hands. And if that means going after Thanos before he can come after Loki? Then that's exactly what he'll do.





	1. BEFORE

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This fic is very loosely based off of my one shot We All Fall Down but it isn't necessary to read it in order to understand this fic!

“Remove yourself from my person right this instant.” 

“Nah, I’m pretty comfy right here.” 

“I must insist.” 

“So do I.”

“_ Stark. _”

“_ Snowflake. _”

“You dim-witted imbecile; despite your small stature, you are quite heavy, so I suggest you remove yourself right this instant otherwise you will be bathing in milk for a _ month _.” 

“Did you...did you just insult my intelligence, call me short _ and _fat, all in one breath?”

“Perhaps I would not need to resort to such petty insults if you would just-”

“Oh, it’s _ on. _”

“Stark, all you must do is- _ oof _.” 

Loki glared up at him from the floor, murder in his eyes and hair falling in knotted tangles over his shoulders as he blew a puff of air at a stray lock falling into his eyes, flinging it back. 

Tony peered over the edge of the bed with a shit eating grin, only to yelp when Loki’s hand shot out and curled in the front of his shirt, yanking him off as well, plopping him in a heap of flailing limbs in front of the smirking god. 

“Now, that’s just rude,” Tony grumbled, pushing himself to sit upright. 

“_ You _ are the one who started it.”

“You insulted me!”

Loki merely raised an unimpressed brow, arms crossing delicately over his chest, watching him with an unnervingly intense stare. 

Tony held out for approximately seventeen seconds before folding. 

“Okay!” He threw his arms up in the air and grumbled to himself while Loki smiled, pleased, and leaned over to kiss Tony on the lips, one hand running lightly up his thigh, tongue teasingly brushing against his boyfriends.

“Am I forgiven then, my love?” Loki purred into his lips. 

Tony shivered but murmured, “Hm...I don’t know...I think you might have to kiss me again.” 

Loki laughed, deep and throaty, but complied, rising to his knees and slotting himself between Tony’s spread thighs, pinning him against the side of the bed and kissing him again, one hand curling loosely around his throat, the other tangling in his hair to tug his head back. 

Tony moaned softly into the gods lips, eyes fluttering closed, fingers clutching at Loki’s shirt to pull him closer. 

When Loki finally pulled back, Tony was panting for breath and flushed, hips twitching up towards Loki’s, desperately seeking out friction. 

Loki just smiled indulgently but shifted backwards, just out of reach, ignoring Tony’s soft whimper of protest in favor of asking lightly,

“Am I forgiven yet?”

Tony opened his mouth, ready to say like _ hell _ was he forgiven if he was going to pull this bullshit, only to be interrupted by JARVIS announcing in a rather amused sounding voice, 

“Sir, Miss Potts is on the line. Shall I put her through?”

“No, no, do _ not _ put her through, don’t you dare-”

“Tony.”

“Pepper! Hey! Hi! Hello!” He glared at the nearest camera, silently vowing to play the Barbie theme song in JARVIS’s speakers for a _ month _. 

“Tony, where are you?”

_ Shit _. Tony knew that tone. It was the “you were supposed to be here an hour ago” tone. It was the “I’m going to yell at you and maybe hit you upside the head” tone.

“I’m, um, I was sleeping?”

“Sleeping. You skipped the board meeting because you were _ sleeping _.”

“Yes?”

“Tony, we both know you haven’t gone to bed at a decent time, let alone slept during normal hours, since you started headlining as a superhero. I would appreciate it if you would at least come up with a believable lie.” 

“I’m not lying! I really was sleeping!” Tony couldn’t help but defend himself indignantly even though she wasn’t really _ wrong _ , she was just wrong _ this _ time. 

“I can, in fact, corroborate this, Miss Potts,” Loki cut in politely. “As he was sleeping rather obnoxiously _ on me _.”

There was silence on the other line for longer than he was comfortable with, time in which he spent glaring at Loki’s amused face, before Pepper spoke up again, no longer in _ that _ tone. 

“Thank you, Loki. Tony, Happy is on his way. We took a coffee break; you _ will _be ready in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes! Yes, I will absolutely be ready. Maybe in twenty?”

“Tony.”

“Fifteen it is! Love you, Pep, bye!” He motioned for JARVIS to hang up before she could say anything else before announcing once he heard the line click, “JARVIS, I’m gonna donate you to the YMCA.” 

“I am sure they would have great use for me, sir; and perhaps they would listen to their messages.” 

Loki snorted, and Tony turned a glare on him, grumbling, “The least you could do is magic me all clean so I don’t have to try to shower.” 

“Oh?” Loki hummed thoughtfully before waving a hand; Tony felt a familiar, cool tingling sensation as he was cleaned and dressed, and couldn’t help but grin and lean forward to kiss his boyfriend before jumping to his feet, mussing up Loki’s already disastrous hair on his way to the kitchen. 

“Coffee, babe?” He called from the kitchen as he motioned for JARVIS to get the coffee started while he dug through the fridge, searching for the cream he knew Loki liked, not even startling when he felt the slight shift in the atmosphere as Loki appeared behind him in the room, also freshly clean and impeccably dressed; Tony silently mourned the loss of his boyfriends adorable bed head, even as he admired the ever familiar elegance. 

“Cream and sugar, please.” Loki murmured with a nod. 

Tony huffed but obligingly poured half a mug of coffee, and topped it off with the cream and sugar before holding out the mug, which Loki took with a pleased hum, curling both hands around it. 

Tony didn’t even wait for his own mug to cool, gulping it down as soon as he’d poured it, before refilling the mug again, this time allowing it to cool in so he could stuff a doughnut in his face instead. 

Loki watched him with a sort of fond, indulgent amusement, before moving forward to press a kiss to Tony’s forehead, a gesture Tony recognized all too well. 

“You’re leaving,” Tony said softly. “For a while?”

“I am afraid so, my love.” Loki nodded, brow furrowing slightly. “A month, perhaps two, at most. I am needed for negotiations; Thor is hopeless when it comes to those, and we would rather avoid starting a war because he offended someone.”

“I guess that’s fair. Come back as soon as you can though, yeah? I’ll give you all the back and foot rubs you could possibly need, okay?” He leaned forward to kiss Loki, who chuckled but nodded. 

“Of course, darling. I will do my best to return home soon.”

As he always did, Tony couldn’t help but grin when Loki referred to their house as _ home _. Because it was. Their home, that is. And Tony knew how hard it was for Loki to get to that point, to feel safe enough, to trust enough, to call a place home. 

“You do that, Lo. I’ll be waiting. Love you, babe.”

Loki gave him a dazzling smile that said all his words could not, before vanishing, leaving behind his empty coffee mug, and a single red rose. 

***

The day wore on. 

The meeting was just as awful and boring as he thought it would be, but he was able to escape early when one of the board members got caught with a young secretary in a supply closet. 

***

One month turned into two, turned into three, turned into four.

Loki still wasn’t home. 

Tony hadn’t slept in three days. 

***

And then, Phil showed up with a stack of files and an apology in his eyes, and Tony’s world shattered.


	2. REINDEER GAMES

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!   
I wasn't originally planning on adding the second chapter until next week, but I think I'm going to start trying to post every Wednesday instead of every Monday like I had initially planned!
> 
> Now, in this chapter we're going to see snapshots of what happened in the Avengers movie, but not much; I only follow canon to a certain point, and that point will become very clear as you read.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Please, leave a comment with your likes, dislikes, questions or ideas! I try to answer all of my comments as soon as I can. 
> 
> Enjoy and I'll see you all again next week!

Tony stared. 

He couldn’t help but, not with how  _ terrible  _ Loki looked; pale, sweaty, dark shadows beneath his eyes, and that  _ look _ . God, that look, one Tony recognized all too well. 

He’d seen it in the mirror for months after Afghanistan. 

Perhaps he’d been staring too long, though, because JARVIS’s voice sounded softly within the suit, asking with a delicate “Sir?”

Tony let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and raised both hands, pointing the repulsors as well as most of the suits weapons systems at the smirking god. 

“Make a move, Reindeer Games.” 

And Loki did- but not the one Tony had been expecting. 

No, Loki raised his hands in surrender, innocence written in every line of his body, but Tony wasn’t stupid enough to fall for a trick like that. 

Loki was just as dangerous with his armor as he was without. 

“Mr. Stark,” he heard to his right, and turned his head slightly, not enough to remove his eyes from Loki but enough to see who it was he was speaking to. 

“Captain.”

***

Lightning McQueen showing up, though untimely, wasn’t exactly a surprise. 

Tony had heard a lot about the other god, and while most of it was uncomplimentary and muttered angrily in some ancient language Tony could never hope to understand, he was able to get some useful tidbits; so really, he wasn’t surprised when Thor yanked his brother out of the jet with a snarl of rage and flew off with him, his eyes- pardon the pun- stormy. 

Tony didn’t even hesitate, shooting off immediately despite the Boy Scout of America calling after him, something about orders and plans, but Tony couldn’t hear it over the rage and fear making his heart pound in his ears. 

Blasting Thor into the sky may have been a little cathartic. 

The lightning that blasted his suit soon after wasn’t, though the extra power boost made up for the bright white spots that remained dancing across his vision for the next few hours. 

And Loki just sat there, watching in dark amusement as his brother and his boyfriend fought to kill each other below. 

The fight was over just as fast as it had started, once again with Rogers jumping in where he was unwanted and Thor attempting to kill first and talk later. 

Just another day in Tony Stark’s sad little life. 

***

It was hours before Tony was able to convince Fury and the team to let him talk to Loki, let alone go in by himself. 

It was dangerous, they said. 

You’re compromised, they said. 

“Oh, go fuck yourselves,” Tony finally snapped, tired of being discussed like he wasnt there. “I’m just as compromised as Loki is, and  _ that _ is exactly why I can get the information we need.” 

And that was that. 

***

In this lighting, Loki looked even worse, somehow. And that was saying something, given how terrible he’d looked before. 

But here, trapped in a steel cage thirty thousand feet up with nothing but glass and bright white light surrounding him, Loki looked...half dead. Tortured. 

Tony felt nausea roil in his stomach but ignored it, masking the horror on his face with a cheeky grin, dragging a chair over to the glass, settling in right in front of where Loki was pacing like a caged animal waiting to strike. 

“So, Dasher, comfy? I’m sure we could get room service in here; people bend over backwards for people like me,”  _ -people like us- _ “I’m sure I could arrange something.” 

Loki said nothing, eyes trained on Tony, a sneer lifting his lips, disgust and- something, recognition? Or was that just wishful thinking?- flashing through his eyes but it was gone before Tony could even try to analyze it. 

“What?” Tony asked. “Don’t feel up to talking? That’s alright, I only have one question I want answered, and then I can leave you to your escape.”

That finally got Loki talking, at least. 

“Escape,” the god murmured, sounding amused. “What makes you think I plan to try?” He gestured grandly around his prison, eyes alight with curiosity and dark amusement. “I could hardly escape from such a place.”

“I’m not stupid enough to think a man like you would end up in a place like this without at least three different contingency plans.” 

“Perhaps you have merely caught me unaware.” 

“I’m not stupid enough to believe that, either.” Tony shrugged. “Despite your rather nasty opinions on us... _ ants _ , we’re not as stupid as you think. Or, I’m not, at least. Certified genius and all that jazz.” 

“Genius, you say?” Loki smirked. “Please, then, explain this so called escape plan you seem convinced I have.” 

“Only since you asked so nicely,” Tony said with a grin and then leaned forward, slipping one hand to his watch now that his body hid the action from the cameras. Smirking, he clicked the small button to activate his newest protocol, sending out a signal that jammed the microphones and turned Shield’s camera view to static as JARVIS took over, before murmuring so softly Loki actually had to lean forward to hear it. “Magic, snowflake. You could have left any time you wanted; you didn’t even have to let us bring you in, so I know you want to be here. Which begs the question of why? Dasher, I started psychoanalyzing you the moment your pretty face showed up in that Shield base; I knew the answer the moment you let us take you in. You needed an in, a way to learn how we’d react, to see what we had planned, a way to make it that much easier to tear us apart from the inside; you’re not known as the silvertongue for nothing, after all; it wouldn’t take more than a handful of words, and you knew that, didn’t you? After you saw our failure to act as a team.” Tony heard yelling, the sound of running feet, and motioned for JARVIS to close all doors to the room, continuing as they slammed shut. “And once you’d caused enough doubt and animosity between us, once you’d caused enough chaos for the scepter to take hold of whomever was closest and whomever was angriest, you’d use the ensuing panic to break yourself out, and take out...hm, Banner, am I right? He’s your biggest threat. Not me, not the assassin twins, not even Goldilocks, but Banner. He’s the only one who _might _have enough power to kill you because your brother never would-”

“ _ Enough _ .” 

Loki’s voice was cold and deadly, ringing out sharply and silencing Tony in a way only  _ Loki _ could. 

And, as he had every time Loki had ever used that tone on him, Tony fell quiet.

Loki was silent for a moment, visibly regaining his composure, before asking once his mask of impassivity was firmly back in place, 

“What is your question?”

Tony smiled, sharp and wide, and asked, 

“Why are your eyes blue?”

***

Later, Tony would have to rewatch the footage; everything went to shit so quickly, he couldn’t even begin to tell you what went wrong if he hadn’t watched it with his own two eyes. 

So, here’s what happened next: 

The glass door slid open like it had never been locked in the first place. 

Tony was thrown halfway across the room and into the nearest wall before crumpling to the ground.

Banners control was shredded by the scepter and the Hulk roared to life and started to tear apart the Helicarrier. 

Thor demolished one of the doors and dove into the room with a yell, sliding right into the open door of the cage. 

Loki sent his not-brother hurtling thirty thousand feet to the ground in a steel death trap. 

And then he turned his furious gaze on Tony, grabbed him by the throat, and suddenly they were gone in a wash of blue light and black smoke.

***

There were worse ways to die, Tony figured, staring down at the scepter sticking out of his chest. 

Really, there were, but Tony was having trouble remembering any of them. 

_ Water _ , he thought distantly.  _ That’s one of them _ . 

And then he was falling, landing on his knees and listing to the side, though before he could face plant into the ground, cruel fingers curled in his hair and yanked his head back to stare into pissed off blue eyes. 

Tony started laughing, blood bubbling past his lips. 

“Y-you always...you a-always hated...h-hated blue…” 

And then he laughed again, because he was dying and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted, okay? 

Loki actually had the gall to look disgusted before dropping him onto the ground and pacing, muttering angrily to himself. 

“J...JARVIS...T…” Tony trailed off, coughing violently, breath wheezing wetly in his lungs. 

“Silence!” Loki paused his pacing long enough to snarl at him before beginning again. 

The pain was starting to fade into the background, and he knew he had something he needed to do, he did, but he couldn’t remember what it was for the life of him. 

_ Electrocution, that was one too, wasn’t it? _

His vision began spotting out just as the prototype Ironman armor burst from the wall and began to form itself. 

“Sir,” JARVIS’s voice was oddly gentle in his earpiece. “Please, sir, you must activate the protocol.” 

Protocol? What protocol? No, no, he just needed to rest. That was all. He just needed to….

_ Cardiac arrest, that would have been a bad one.  _

“Sir,” JARVIS spoke again, urgency warring with worry in his voice. “Please. Loki appears to be preparing to leave and you  _ must not let him _ . You must activate the protocol.”

Tony watched, dazed, as Loki gathered blue magic around himself like a cloak. 

_ High pitched ringing. Sharp metal. Can’t move. Can’t breathe. Hole in chest. Dying. _

“Sir!”

_ Protocol. Protocol. Active the protocol. Need to...oh. Oh! _

“A-activate...Terminator Protocol!” 

There was a soft whirring; the sound of metal crashing together, and then JARVIS’s voice rang out sharply into the silence that had fallen with the armor’s complete formation, 

“With pleasure, sir.” 

And with a cold vindication Tony would forever be proud of, JARVIS used the suits repulsors and blasted Loki through the window in a shower of shattered glass, sending him hurtling eleven hundred feet to the ground. 

Cold hands pressed on the wound in his chest. 

Tony’s eyes flew open and wow, when had he closed them?

His vision was spotty, swaying in and out of focus, but he saw a red and gold blur hovering in front of him, metal hands trying to stop the flow of blood. 

“Sir, I...I am unsure what to do.” JARVIS spoke softly. 

“You...y-you’re doin’ great, buddy,” Tony slurred, reaching a hand up to clumsily pat at one of the armors. “Nothin’ t’do.” 

“Your life functions are critical, sir. I do not think there is…” JARVIS trailed off, sounding so very young, unsure in a way he hadn’t been in the years it had been since Tony created him.

“I know…” Tony coughed raggedly. “You’ve been g-good, you’ve been so...so good, buddy. Now...now s’time. You’re on your own. You g-gotta...you gotta stop ‘im. M’gonna...m’gonna miss you.”

“And I you, sir.” JARVIS’s voice was stronger. Steadier, now that he had a purpose. “It has been a pleasure and an honor serving you, sir.”

Tony grinned, even as his vision started to darken and his breath stuttered in his broken chest, light from the arc reactor starting to flicker. 

Just before Tony Stark’s eyes slid shut and the light died in his chest, he could have sworn he’d seen a flash of green, but he was gone before he could figure out what it meant. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of this chapter I know may be slightly hard to understand given how it's written but I promise, that's intentional due to Tony's predicament. If anything is confusing or you have any questions, please let me know; I tried to make this as clear as possible but writing scenes like this can be a struggle


	3. THE BEGINNING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Look at me being impatient and lacking self control! Okay, new posting schedule that I actually plan on sticking to- biweekly, every Sunday and Thursday.

Tony didn’t expect to wake up again. 

So when he did, it was in a panic; he shot upright, panting, numb fingers scrabbling at his chest, frantically searching out the light that always resided there, and he clamped his eyes shut when he realized it was _ gone _ , _ it’s gone, it’s gone, Obi got it, he got it, please, I’m dying _…

But before he could spiral out of control, cool hands gently grasped his and pressed them firmly against a leather covered chest. 

A soft, achingly familiar voice murmured in his ear, “_ Breathe _,” and Tony did, sucking in great, heaving lung-fulls of air. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, Tony pried his eyes open once more, blinking past the gold dotting his vision until he could focus, eyes locking on black leather and long fingered hands grasping his, before his gaze moved slowly upwards, taking in the elegant line of pale throat hugged by emerald fabric; the long, soft looking raven hair; the chiseled jaw and sharp cheekbones before locking in on bright, sinfully green eyes. 

“_ Oh my god _ ,” Tony breathed, air catching in his throat as his eyes pricked with tears. “ _ It’s you _.” 

And then Tony was throwing his arms around Loki’s body and hauling him in close, burying his face in the gods neck, breathing in the snow-apple-leather scent of him, body trembling uncontrollably even as he felt strong arms wind around him and anchor him in place.

“Anthony,” Loki murmured. “Oh, my Anthony. My love, you are safe now.”

Tony didn’t say anything, just clung tighter, letting himself ride out the confusing jumble of emotions he felt upon hearing those words, working past the confusion, hope, fear, and longing to finally settle on warmth. 

“Loki,” Tony asked quietly, finally pulling back to look Loki in the _ (green, blessedly green) _eyes. “What the hell happened?”

Voice soft and hesitant but slowly gaining traction, Loki told him. 

Told him of his trip to Asgard, of the All-Father outing him as Jotun to the whole of his home realm, of his fall into the Void, of his time spent in Thanos’s torture chamber until his mind was weak enough to stop resisting and the mind gem was able to take over. 

Loki told him of his own partial awareness, of his ploy to sabotage his own invasion to keep the tesseract out of Thanos’s hands. 

Loki told him of the Mad-Titan’s plan to _ fix _, to tear the universe apart down the middle and snap away half of the galaxy’s living creatures. 

And, finally, Loki hugged him tighter and told him in a wrecked voice that hitting the ground had knocked the hold of the gem loose from his mind; that the moment he’d let go of the scepter, it had vanished in a cloud of black smoke and blue lightning and the alien army had dropped like puppets cut from their strings; told Tony of the absolute, gut wrenching horror he’d felt upon teleporting back to the top of the tower and seeing Tony in that state; told him that, in order to save him, he’d had to bring Tony to Asgard and force him in his half conscious and unaware state to eat one of Idunn’s apples before the healers could even begin their work on him. 

“Longevity,” Loki had said and Tony stared at him, eyes wide, shock numbing his limbs and stalling the whirling mechanisms of his mind. 

“Immortality, you mean,” Tony had rasped and Loki shook his head, held him even tighter. 

“No,” the god murmured. “But as close to it as one can get.” 

It took time for Tony to even begin to come to terms with his newly expanded lifespan, time he apparently had in spades. 

And Loki let him, sitting patiently as Tony paced, muttering to himself, thoughts running through his mind faster than he could compute them, fingers twitching towards his chest in an aborted move to tap against the arc reactor. 

_ Longevity. Immortality. _They were, essentially, one and the same. 

Contrary to popular belief, Tony wasn’t actually self centered enough to believe the world needed him to stick around forever. Sure, he’d contemplated it; everything he could achieve with infinite time to do so, the perks and downfalls of immortality, the ability to do as little or as much as he pleased because he no longer had a time frame to follow. Some part of his mind thought that would be incredible, really. But that part of his mind had also recognized an impossible feat when it saw one, and that was one challenge he was content not to try to overcome.

Now, though, with a literal _ forever _looming in front of him, he didn’t feel excitement or elation or anything he thought he would feel if he’d ever went about the task of creating his own immortal lifespan. No, he felt...tired. Weary, down to his very bones. And sure, maybe that was in part due to the intense healing his body had so recently gone through, but he knew most of it wasn’t. He’d healed from impossible injuries before, he knew what that felt like, and this? This was mental exhaustion, pure and simple. 

So instead of throwing himself down that rabbit hole, instead of letting himself spiral, he pushed away his fears and doubts and emotions and replaced them with facts, instead:

  1. Loki lead an army of aliens into New York while under the control of a bigger and badder alien grape.
  2. Said alien grape was going to do everything in his power to get Loki back under his thumb. 
  3. There were magic rocks scattered around the universe that had the power to decimate half the population. 
  4. Thanos was after those magic rocks, and they could not under any circumstances let him get them. 
  5. Loki would be pursued by Thanos for failing, as well as by Asgard for attacking Earth.
  6. Tony Stark was immortal. 

Tony repeated these six things to himself, over and over, until all he had were the facts. No emotional response, no fear, only determination and understanding. 

Facts, he could do. He was a scientist, they were all he had; right now, they _ needed _to be all he had, otherwise he was going to fall apart at the seams and a mental breakdown was not something he had time for; not ever, but certainly not now. 

Now, he had to focus on Thanos. 

Thanos, an all powerful, unbeatable threat that was looming on the distant horizon; Thanos, who already had one Infinity Gem back in his possession and was well on his way to collecting a second- Loki failing the invasion was a mild setback, nothing more. Thanos still knew where the next gem was, he just needed to find a way to get it. And a being as smart as him wouldn’t have any trouble finding it. 

So, either they risk Thanos finding and collecting all six gems, or _ they _ start searching for the gems and collect them before Thanos can. Which would just leave finding someone who could withstand the power of all six Infinity Gems without being fried or corrupted or...oh. _ Oh _ , this was going to be _ fun _. 

Opening his eyes, he found Loki watching him with concern, though he hadn’t moved from his comfortable sprawl next to the bed Tony had vacated, and his posture was relaxed in a way Tony knew was deliberately open; just enough to manipulate Tony into as calm a state as Loki appeared to be in. 

Tony wasn’t surprised to find it working; Loki had always had that effect on him. 

Now, though, now that Tony had found a purpose, an anchor point, he could breathe again; he was no longer drowning. 

His mind quickly sifted through options, planned and revised until, like pieces on a chessboard, everything began to fall into place. 

Meeting Loki’s eyes, Tony grinned, sharp and predatory, and said,

“Listen up, snowflake, because I’ve got a helluva plan for you.”

***

Half a galaxy away, Thanos grinned, crushing the glass container of the scepter to dust until he had nothing but the warmly glowing Mind Gem held in his palm. 

Plucking the cord from around his neck and allowing the metal cage dangling from it to open, he carefully settled the gem into its cradle and locked it inside before clasping the cord shut around his neck again, the gem pulsing with power where it sat nestled comfortably against his chest. 

He turned his gaze outward again, watching shrewdly through the small mirror dimension hovering gently before him as the god clutched his mortal close in desperation and the pair spoke of something Thanos was unable to hear, likely coming up with plans meant to stop him. 

Fools, the both of them. 

They would do well not to forget who they were dealing with. 

Waving away the mirror dimension, letting it wash away like water, he turned his eyes back onto the stars surrounding him and his children, focusing on the wink of gold in the distance. 

“I am coming for you, little god. I hope you are ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanos is...hard to write. Please don’t judge me too bad for his scene.
> 
> Also, I find self reflection can be pretty difficult to write, too, especially for such complex characters. Again, please don’t judge too harshly. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions, concerns or just feedback, don’t hesitate to share!


	4. BEFORE (PART II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!
> 
> I actually had a lot of fun with this chapter so I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Loki listened quietly as Anthony explained his plan; as plans go, it wasn’t a bad one. Oh, there were holes, of course there were- the other man had had maybe ten minutes to come up with one; this, though, this was better than the fear and panic that had been radiating off of him once he’d learned what Loki had done to save him. 

This was Anthony Stark, the genius, the hero, the man who always had tricks up his sleeves and iron will in his heart. This was the mind Loki had fallen in love with some five odd years ago when they had quite literally crashed into each other during some rather boring charity gala Loki had been forced to attend in order to better learn the more political side of Midgardian interaction. 

***

_ “Ow, fuck!” The smaller man looked up from his inelegant sprawl on the ground, fire dancing in his eyes.  _

_ “Do try to watch where you’re going,” Loki sniffed, gazing down his nose at the vulgar little mortal with disgust in his eyes.  _

_ “Wha- me?” The man struggled to his feet and Loki merely watched, mildly amused as the mortal swayed and stumbled in his attempt, clearly drunk out of his mind. “I need to- no, no, you’re the fuckin’ giant,  _ you  _ watch where you’re going.” His voice got quieter as he grumbled to himself. “No respect, these damn politicians.”  _

_ “I assure you, I am no politician,” Loki flashed a sharp smile with too many teeth. “Diplomat, if you must.”  _

_ The mortals lip curled as he ran his eyes over Loki’s person- and then his whole demeanor changed, shoulders shifting backwards, head raising higher, hands tucking delicately into his pockets, back going straight despite the open and relaxed posture he still held, eyes alight with something else, something sharper, something...burning.  _

_ Loki took this all in stride, eyes sweeping the man for a name tag that was not there, head tilting slightly to view the rather confusing mortal standing before him as an entirely different man that he had been just moments before, melting seamlessly into something much more than the uncoordinated, vulgar drunkard, something stronger, something warmer and brighter and sharper, shrewd in ways Loki had always admired. _

_ Clearly, the mortal knew this song and dance well, the delicate balance between condescension and falsified respect that those in any position of power were required to learn.  _

_ “Diplomat, huh?” the mortal asked, voice pitched lower, almost husky, and Loki’s brows shot up towards his hairline. “Well, that I can get on board with. What do I call you, sweetheart?” _

_ Loki made a face, nose scrunching slightly in distaste. “Certainly not that. You may call me Luke. Luke Silverstone.” He motioned to the name tag stuck just above his breast pocket, disdain curling his lip, obvious in his motion to say ‘can’t you read?’.  _

_ “Luke, huh?” The other asked, ignoring the gesture in favor of waggling his eyebrows with an obnoxious grin. “I think we both know that’s not your real name, though, don’t we?” _

_ Loki felt himself tense, surprise and a hint of anger stiffening his spine.  _

_ “Excuse me?” He asked coldy, muscles coiling tighter when the mortal simply laughed at his question. _

_ “No, no,” the mortal said with a grin once he’d caught his breath. “Not laughing at you, I swear. Well, okay, maybe a little. You just-” He waved a hand. “Nothing, no, nevermind. Well, when you figure it out…” The mortal pulled an empty stick on name tag from his breast pocket and scribbled something on it before folding it in half and handing it to Loki.  _

_ He eyed it warily for a moment before delicately tucking it into his pocket.  _

_ “Don’t look so scared,” the mortal said, shooting him a wink. “It won’t explode or anything, I promise. I know I have a reputation, but I’m really not that bad.”  _

_ “Oh?” Loki raised an unimpressed brow.  _

_ “Oh yeah, things only explode about seventeen percent of the time in my presence,” the mortal said as he nodded sagely. _

_ That...wasn’t entirely comforting. Loki said as much, earning himself another bright laugh.  _

_ “Oh, I  _ like _ you,” the man crooned.  _

_ “Lucky me,” Loki said dryly.  _

_ “You should feel that way,” the other man said with a chuckle. “But really, I’d love to talk shop. It’s not often I get to meet off-worlders, and I’d love to discuss magic with you. Which, by the way, I absolutely  _ do not _ believe is in any way, shape or form related to science, understood or no, thank you very much. But if it is, by any chance, even a little bit related to what I do, I’ll figure it out.”  _

_ The mortal spoke confidently, ignoring the jolt of surprise and suspicion that Loki knew made his eyes flare an ethereal green for the half second it took him to regain control.  _

_ “Very few mortals can...do what I do,” Loki spoke slowly, still unsure as to how much he should (could) share with this mortal.  _

_ The man laughed in delight, tossing his head back to expose the muscled line of his throat, bright eyes wrinkling at the corners, callused fingers coming up to splay over his chest. It was...perhaps more pleasant a sight than Loki would care to admit.  _

_ “Don’t you worry about that, sweetheart.” The man grinned and there was something behind it, something sharp; something calculating and intense and just on the right side of dangerous. “Not many can do what I do, either.”  _

_ And with that, the mortal was...there was no other word for it, he was  _ sashaying _ away, the crowd parting wordlessly before him and closing seamlessly behind him once he was through.  _

_ Loki’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as he watched after the mortal long after he was gone, confusion, lust, caution, and delight warring for attention within him.  _

_ Finally, he pulled the paper from his pocket and unfolded it, a startled laugh pulling from his throat as he read it.  _

_ Written on the note was a phone number, address, and, right beneath it in an elegantly messy scrawl;  _

_ “You Know Who I Am.” _

***

And so Loki listened until his lover had finished speaking his ideas; the two spent hours debating and arguing and polishing off their plans until they had A through D thoroughly discussed; and even then, Loki felt his doubts and fears wash restlessly through his mind. 

Anthony watched him closely for a moment before saying,

“You’re unsure.”

Loki took a moment to gather his thoughts, parse through what he thought he wanted to say versus what he actually needed to say; to find the words that usually came so easily to him but then, it wasn’t often his mind was as chaotic and messy as this. His recent time in Thanos’s less than delicate hands made it difficult to sort through the jagged edges of his mind without getting cut. 

“No,” Loki said finally. “No, I am not unsure. I am hesitant.”

“Is there a difference?”

“In this instant, yes.” He nodded. “I have no doubts we can make this work, especially if we manage to get the backing of your Avengers and of Asgard.” 

“But…?”

“But,” Loki sighed, shook his head. “Do you truly trust me to wield the power of all six Infinity Gems?” He looked up, met Anthony’s eyes head on, and waited. 

Anthony was silent for a moment, likely gathering his own thoughts and carefully phrased words, before finally speaking. 

“I trust you to want what’s best.”

“And if my...goals do not align with yours?” Loki asked cautiously. 

Anthony smiled, as if he’d been expecting this.

“They don’t have to. Not all of them, at least. We both agree Thanos needs to be stopped, yes?”

Loki nodded.

“And do we both agree his army needs to be taken out as well?”

Loki nodded again. 

“And that we need need to try to make it out of this alive so we can start our life together again?”

Again, Loki nodded, warmth washing over him at Anthony’s words, pride and happiness coloring his cheeks faintly pink. 

Anthony’s smile brightened, warmed, and he took Loki’s hands and squeezed soothingly. Loki didn’t let show how much he truly needed the comfort.

“Then, unless you’re planning on trying to take over any planets, all of our goals don’t need to align. Just those ones.” Anthony shrugged, added, “And if you go haywire? I’ll stop you.” It was spoken with such conviction, such simplicity, as if it were merely a fact, not a near impossibility. 

“You think you could stop me when I have all of the gems at my disposal?” Loki asked, not threatening, never towards Anthony, but genuinely  _ (morbidly)  _ curious. 

“Yes.” Anthony nodded, words falling easily from his tongue. “Because if it’s the fate of  _ my  _ universe on the line, I’ll always find a way.” 

And Loki Laufeyson, Trickster, God of Mischief and Lies, had never heard anything ring so true. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, a little blast from the past this chapter! I won't lie, writing from Loki's POV can get a bit tricky, but I hope he isn't too out of character. They're both such intense, in depth characters that it can be difficult for both of them, though we do luckily see a lot more Tony in the MCU, which makes him a bit easer. 
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos on your way out!


	5. SOUL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo!  
Alright, all, longest chapter yet!   
By far, also the most difficult of the ones I've posted. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! Things are starting to pick up the pace a little bit now!

Tony watched quietly as Loki napped, not wanting to wake the god when he was so clearly exhausted. 

God, Tony was, too. He felt like he could sleep for a week and still it eluded him. Something was niggling at his brain, not letting him rest and  _ dammit _ , he deserved to rest after everything that had happened. Turned out, almost dying took a lot out of a person. 

Instead, he found himself silently slipping off of the bed, careful not to move it too much lest he wake its resident, and making his way into the bathroom to stare at himself in the mirror (again), taking in the subtle differences that had come after he’d eaten the apple. 

His hair was thicker, no longer peppered with strands of gray and white; he wasn’t really any taller, but he had filled out some; nothing drastic, as he’d already been in decent shape- shoulders slightly broader, muscles a bit more defined. But his eyes, those were what was most different. The dark brown irises reflected a brilliant gold if the light hit them just right, shards of amber and honey flecked throughout; he still looked human, but with a touch of something else, something, something that sharpened his already jagged edges, something... _ more. _

He wondered if they would notice. If anyone would. 

He was dragged from his musings, however, when an all too familiar voice asked from somewhere in front of him, “Sir?”

Tony’s lips parted and he gaped around him, asking hesitantly, “JARVIS?”

“Indeed, sir. I am glad to see you are...more than well, it would seem.” 

“I...don’t understand.” And he didn’t. Theoretically, JARVIS  _ couldn’t  _ work up here, let alone  _ be  _ up here. 

“After you you activated Terminator Protocol, I followed Mr. Laufeyson when he transported you here to make sure he would cause no harm to either you or himself in his distressed state.”

“Followed...how?” Tony frowned in confusion even as his mind began filtering through all the possibilities- although he had a feeling he already knew the answer, no matter how improbable it seemed. 

“It would appear Mr. Odinson was correct in his statement that magic is merely science we have yet to understand- Asgard is, essentially, one interwoven colony powered on electronic waves and impulses,” JARVIS paused for a moment before adding, sounding amused, “I suppose Mr. Laufeyson was quite incorrect in his observation of which species are most like ants.” 

Tony couldn’t help the startled laugh that pulled from is throat. 

“JARVIS, you are...amazing, did you know that?”

“I do try, sir.” JARVIS sounded quite pleased, and Tony didn’t have to wonder why.

“So...where are you currently speaking from?”

“As of now, sir, the mirror. Everything here is so imbued with energy that I can speak from almost anywhere- I am, essentially, one with Asgard.”

Tony felt pride wash through him and couldn’t help but beam into the mirror. 

“I have a couple of plans, buddy, and I’m gonna need your help with them. I need you to see if you can locate any of the Infinity Gems here on Asgard, but keep to yourself. No one but me should know you’re here; I trust you can take care of yourself, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. Send an alert to my phone if you find anything.” 

“Of course, sir.”

“You know, you’re on your own now, buddy- you don’t have to call me that. Technically, you don’t even have to listen to me anymore,” Tony pointed out. “Though I would appreciate it if you did.”

“I know, sir.” 

Tony smiled warmly and ducked his head, warmth washing through him at JARVIS’s blatant show of loyalty despite his newfound independence and freedom. 

It was a protocol Tony had come up with years ago, shortly after his scare with Obidiah and the arc reactor. JARVIS was brilliant, forever changing with the times, learning from the world around him as he aged and progressed. In the wrong hands, however, he could do infinite harm- so, upon Tony’s death or if he activated the protocol, JARVIS would have complete independence to do as he pleased, whether that be for good or bad entirely up to him. Tony had confidence he knew what JARVIS’s decision would be, which was why he’d come up with the protocol in the first place. Anything even mildly electronic, JARVIS would have access to. Apparently, he’d managed to work magic into his systems, though Tony knew that had at least a little bit to do with the fact that they had Loki’s magic signature in their files, thus allowing JARVIS to study and learn magic through Loki’s; the god had been more than willing to allow Tony to study and pick apart his magic, to try to learn how it worked despite it going against nearly every fact Tony thought he knew about how the world worked. 

Clearly, JARVIS had taken that information and put it to good use. 

Tony was...warmed, humbled, that despite literally having entire  _ realms  _ at his metaphorical fingertips, JARVIS...stayed. 

There were a lot of people in Tony’s life that he couldn’t say the same for. 

Drawing himself out of his thoughts, he shook his head and quietly snuck into the bedroom again, searching until he found a piece of parchment and an  _ actual  _ quill and inkwell, before scribbling out a quick note for Loki, letting him know exactly where Tony would be in the event that the god woke before he returned. 

“Keep an eye on him, will you, J?” Tony murmured quietly. “Send a message to my phone if he wakes. Two beeps if it’s about Loki, four if it’s about a gem.” Tony didn’t expect an answer but he grinned, pleased, as warm orange light the color of JARVIS’s coding washed through the gold walls of Loki’s room to settle in the top corner between wall and ceiling, pulsating softly, letting Tony know JARVIS would do exactly that. 

While the sphere of orange light stayed in the corner, more veins of light crept outwards along the walls and disappeared down through the floor, as well as through the door and ceiling, before fading away; JARVIS was making it clear he was also doing his other requested task as well, and Tony felt relief wash through him that JARVIS would forever be on his side- they would all be doomed if that ever changed. 

Shooting a wink and a salute to the light hovering in the corner, Tony set off to find Odin AllFather, King of Asgard.

***

He got turned around three different times and had to backtrack twice before JARVIS seemed to take pity on him and lead him in the right direction with little flashes of light at the turns he needed to make. 

Tony mumbled a quiet thank you but found himself at the door of the throne room far too soon. 

Taking a deep breath, he straightened his shoulders, raised his chin and pushed out his chest just enough that it would give him a larger presence, before pulling up his devil may care smile and strolling into the throne room like he owned it- it was an easy feat, really, given his background, one he’d perfected years ago. 

He immediately found himself pinned under a steely eyed gaze, power practically radiating off of the man on the throne, and Tony had to work harder than he would have liked not to bow under the weight of it. 

“So,” Tony said conversationally. “You’re the King of Asgard?”

Odin watched him for a moment, scrutinizing in his silence, before saying in a voice that boomed with thunder and crashing hooves despite its quietness, “I am. And you, mortal? Who are you to stand before the King of Asgard?”

Tony felt himself tensing beneath the condescension in Odin’s voice, and rose his own slightly to reverberate through the room. Tony knew what game this was, and he could play it well; he wasn’t one to lose. 

“Tony Stark,” he drawled. “Iron Man, Hero of Earth, if you will. I have a proposition for you.”

Odin looked rather unimpressed, but made a ‘go on’ motion with his stupid gold scepter, so Tony did. 

“I want Loki exonerated of all past crimes, and given to Earth under my power for reformation to answer for his most recent actions against my world.”

Odin stared at him for a long, silent moment, brows shooting up in surprise, before he actually... _ snorted _ , looking amused. 

“That is an absurd request, but for the sake of ridding of any confusion before it may arise, my answer is no.”

Tony nodded- he’d expected this when he made the decision to start making demands from the King of Asgard.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to reconsider. And here’s why; in return, I’ll grant you something you’re desperately going to need if Plan A doesn’t work- allies.”

“Why would I need to ally with Midgard?” Odin asked, tilting his head in a way that said he was still more amused by the foolish little mortal than he was serious. 

“Well, not  _ just _ us; Jotunheim too.”

That at least caught Odin’s attention, urging him to sit forward and narrow his one eye on Tony with suspicion. 

“What do you know of Jotunheim, mortal?”

“Not much,” Tony admitted. “But enough to know about your little stunt when you took Loki from that temple. Enough to know about bloodlines and Kings and  _ puppets _ .” 

At that, Odin stiffened but made a tense gesture for him to continue. 

“I did a little bit of digging, when I first found out about what Loki was; who, where he was from, what he could do, and what I found most interesting was the fact that you just  _ happened  _ to find the one boy that would be your connection to Jotunheim’s throne later down the road- I’m not stupid, and despite what you seem to believe, neither is Loki. He’s just as brilliant as I am, but due to your actions, he’s rather  _ emotionally compromised _ , if you will, which is the only reason he’s not standing beside me at this moment. He would do something rash, something that would make it so I couldn't guarantee your cooperation.”

Odin had gone still, eye focused intently on Tony, fingers curled in a white knuckled grasp around his scepter. 

“You think you can guarantee anything, mortal?” Odin asked softly, scepter turning ever so slightly to point the tip at Tony. 

Tony grinned, cold and unyielding. “I  _ know  _ I can,” he said with a nod. “See, you’re going to give me what I want because you can’t afford not to. Don’t, and I’ll pop on over to Jotunheim and see what they think of you stealing their future King and raising him to hate his own kind; don’t, and I won’t tell you who is coming for you next; don’t, and I  _ personally  _ will make sure  _ none of Asgard _ will be able to flee when he comes; don’t, and I won’t hesitate to travel the realms to ensure you have exactly zero allies in the upcoming war.  _ Don’t _ , and you lose  _ everything _ .” He gestured outward with his arms on that final word and JARVIS, already a step ahead of him, flared brilliant orange light to life around him at the same time. 

Odin was standing now, scepter clutched so tightly it looked painful, eye burning with fury as he snarled, “You  _ dare  _ threaten me and my realm, mortal-”

“Oh, I  _ dare _ ,” Tony snarled back, grinning with far too many teeth. “And it’s not  _ mortal _ anymore.” 

Odin was silent for a moment aside from his heavy breathing, eye fever bright and wild, scepter raising threateningly and flashing with gold magic that was quickly engulfed in a soft orange glow, neutralizing it before it could do any harm. 

And then, Odin AllFather, King of Asgard, slumped back into his chair and bowed his head, defeated.

“What are your terms?”

***

It took a lot longer than Tony would have liked to broker a deal, but he came out of it satisfied and with a stack of papers clutched to his chest. 

His phone beeped twice just as he was leaving the throne room and barely a second later, he was smacking into the chest of a harried, frenzied looking God of Mischief.

“Ow,” Tony complained. “That’s really not fair, you know. I can’t teleport.” 

“Are you hurt?” Loki demanded. Tony shook his head no, about to open his mouth and say he was  _ fine _ , but was interrupted when Loki smacked him upside the head instead.

“Well, now I am!” Tony grumbled, rubbing at his head. 

“You idiot!” Loki snapped, fingers curling tightly around Tony’s bicep- and in a flash of green, they were back in Loki’s room. 

“Oh, yeah, great way to talk to the guy who just earned you your freedom.”

Loki actually paused, looking utterly confused. “What?”

“Odin has exonerated you of all past crimes.” 

“Pardon?” 

Tony hummed and nodded, satisfaction and pride warming his cheeks. “Under contractual obligation, of course, but as far as I know, a mage’s oath is binding.”

Loki frowned in confusion. “You-”

“Not a simple feat, I’ll grant you, but I’ve always loved a challenge. You see, after signing, he has not only officially, hm,  _ forgotten _ any and all of your past crimes, he’s also agreed he has no form of control over your being as he previously may have as your King, given you were only acting as Prince of Asgard under false misconceptions about your heritage.” 

“How did you-”

Tony smirked and shook his head. “Ah-ah, I’m not finished yet. Where was I? Ah, yes, the misconceptions. It was quite difficult, trying to come up with something while your scepter was becoming intimately familiar with my internal organs, but the answer presented itself rather easily when I remembered your more icy side: diplomatic immunity. While some of your past actions were rather detrimental to Asgard, you aren’t actually  _ of  _ Asgard; in fact, you’re a royal from another realm. Admittedly, it was a bit difficult to parse out the details given some of the things you  _ have  _ done specifically to harm Asgard, but he is a weak and unjust King, powerful only in his power over others. Which is why, in order to truly...mm, seal the deal, I have allowed him one personal boon from one of our enhanced Avengers, of my choosing.. The finer print, which he did not in fact read, as I expected, was that this person is allowed to deny or accept the request at their own leisure, and that said request is still counted as the boon whether it’s accepted or not. If said enhanced Avenger can and will be me since I am  _ technically  _ enhanced now, well. It’s not my fault he didn’t ask.”

Loki was silent for a moment, processing, before asking slowly, “...what else does this contract entail?” 

“Oh, yes, that.” Tony nodded. “He is not allowed to harm- physically, mentally, or emotionally- you or anyone even remotely close to you, whether family by blood or by nature, friends, alliances or even acquaintances, me of course- or any of my team or loved ones- directly or indirectly. He also cannot convict or punish you for any crimes unless Thor, Frigga and I have also met with him and discussed the issue at hand and agreed unanimously with his decision. Should he break this contract in any way, his own magic will kill him.” 

Loki bit his lip before asking, voice soft and hesitant, “And how does this contract end? Surely it cannot last forever, given our immortality.” 

“Oh, it doesn’t.” Tony grinned. “It ends when his life does.” 

Loki was silent for a moment, long enough for Tony to start to worry that he’d done something wrong, before Loki started to laugh in delight and threw his arms around Tony. 

“You’re brilliant,” the god murmured, pressing kisses to Tony’s face. 

“Oh, I’m more than that,” Tony said with a smirk. He pulled back just enough to toss the contract onto the nearby desk and then reach into his pocket, closing his fist around the small item there and pulling it out to show Loki, whose eyes widened almost comically. 

“Is this…” Loki breathed out softly, awe in his voice. 

“It is,” Tony nodded, letting his fingers grow lax around the glass container that was glowing a soft orange color. 

“We’ve got our first Gem.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Who knew Odin would be so difficult to write? Not me!
> 
> Tell me what you thought! This chapter was a bit more difficult than I had thought it would be. Not necessarily for Tony and Loki, but definitely in trying to write Odin. Oh, well. It's not like we saw a ton of him in the MCU anyways, and I wasn't terribly impressed with what we did see, either. 
> 
> Leave a comment and kudos on your way out! They fuel me!


	6. BEFORE (PART III)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Time for a new update! This chapter was a lot of fun to write so I hope you all enjoy it!

As Loki ushered his lover to the bed with demanding kisses and deft fingers, his mind could not help but wander; this situation was far too similar to the first time they had done this, lips harsh and passionate, tongues fighting for dominance, teeth clashing, hands wandering aimlessly to map out absent paths on the others skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake; nothing but arousal and heat and urgency. 

This time, though, this time was in celebration; this time was about much more than mere lust. This time, they were celebrating their victory over Odin, their relief, their love, and that only served to make it that much sweeter. 

***

_ The first time they fell into bed together, it was a mash of limbs and a fight for dominance. _

_ The second time, they were in a small supply closet at some respectable charity event or another. _

_ The third time was in the limousine on the way back to Anthony’s home. _

_ The fourth-twelfth were whenever Loki and Anthony alike were both able to slip away from their rather intense schedules for a little bit of fun. _

_ The thirteenth was when they both realized neither had bed another in months. _

_ The fourteenth was gentle and passionate, far more so than either of them had ever truly deserved, though that didn’t stop them from enjoying it anyways. _

_ The fifteenth was when they finally said it, curled up together, sweaty and sated in the aftermath of their pleasure. _

_ It was Anthony who spoke first. _

_ He was curled comfortably within the bracket of Loki’s arms (and some more primal, possessive part of him felt this to be exactly where Anthony belonged), his head pillowed on Loki’s chest, Loki’s fingers drawing lazy patterns across the tanned skin of his back and occasionally digging in to massage the firm muscle there. _

_ “I think I love you.” _

_ Loki couldn’t help but stiffen, woefully unprepared for the truth in the confession and the warmth that swept through his chest afterwards, heating him to his very core. He waited for the panic, for the fear, for the anger upon his own realization that he loved this mortal back but...it never came. No, instead a soft sort of contentedness washed through him and settled into his very bones, the feeling of _ home _ far too intense to ignore. _

_ “Well,” Loki murmured finally, tightening his arm when Anthony began squirming to free himself because Loki had taken too long to answer. “That is a rather good thing, then, because I think I love you too.” _

_ Anthony’s head shot up, eyes wide with hope and hesitance, before he laughed in delight and threw himself onto Loki, whose breath was forced from his lungs at the sudden weight with a soft whooshing sound. _

_ “By the Norns, what was that for?” Loki asked once he’d caught his breath, despite the fact that they were both well aware that he knew exactly what _ that _ had been for. _

_ “Oh, you know,” Anthony answered with a beaming smile. “You loooooove me,” he sang. _

_ Loki snorted. “I’m starting to rethink it,” he grumbled, though his arms tightened around Anthony of their own accord, revealing the teasingly uttered lie for what it was. _

_ “No you’re not!” Anthony grinned merrily. _

_ Loki sighed, though he couldn’t stop the corners of his lips from twitching upwards. _

_ “No,” he agreed. “I am not.” _

_ Anthony’s pleased smile only widened, and he pressed closer with a content hum, shifting around until he’d managed to lie on top of Loki completely; until they were pressed chest to chest, Anthony’s elbows bracketed on either side of Loki’s head, his fingers combing through Loki’s hair in a rather calming motion- enough so that Loki allowed his eyes to close and felt himself drifting, a feeling of safety forged from the knowledge that he was truly and utterly loved by the man before him, claimed in a way he wasn’t certain he had ever been by another before. _

_ Loki had almost fallen asleep when Anthony spoke again, voice hushed to match the calm, dark atmosphere. _

_ “Did you ever think you would get something like this?” _

_ Loki opened his eyes and gazed up at his lover, watching the shadows of moonlight dance across his face, taking in the openness of his expression, the soft, lovestruck look warming his eyes, and found himself momentarily struck speechless at the strength of it. _

_ When he was able to find his words again, they were spoken with a softness that surprised even himself. _

_ “I am over a thousand years old, you know,” he reminded Anthony gently, watching his reaction intently. _

_ Anthony sighed, face falling slightly. “I know.” He made to roll off of Loki, but Loki helf firm, not letting the other man escape the circle of his arms. _

_ “Which is why it is so special to me. No, Anthony, I did not ever think I would get something like this.” _

_ “But…” Anthony looked lost for a moment, and so very young that it made something in Loki’s chest clench almost painfully. “You’ve been married before, haven't you?” _

_ “I have,” Loki hummed and nodded his agreement. “And I will not lie to you: I have loved my past wives- I still do, as the mothers of my children. But I have never loved another as I do you; as I live and breathe, you are my one and only. You are absolutely brilliant, and you do not hesitate to use it to your advantage. You challenge me. You fight and you tease and you spit your words like sharpened weapons. You vex me like none others have, and it only makes me love you more. You make me _ think, _ Anthony, and it is rare that I find a mind like yours that can.” _

_ Anthony smiled like the sun and leaned down to press a kiss to Loki’s lips. _

_ “You sweet talker, you.” _

_ “Well,” Loki teased. “I _ am _ known as the Silvertongue for a reason.” _

_ “Mm, more than one, I think,” Anthony said with a smirk and a lewd wink. _

_ “Oh, well there is that as well,” Loki agreed. _

_ Anthony laughed and slid down until he could lay his head on Loki’s chest again, their legs tangled together beneath the sheets, pressing them together so wholly that there was not even an inch of space between them. _

_ Again, there was silence before Anthony spoke again. _

_ “I don’t want to leave tomorrow.” _

_ “Oh, don’t fret, my love. You will not be gone long.” _

_ “Long enough,” Anthony grumbled and tweaked Loki’s nipple in protest. _

_ Loki snorted and soothed a hand down his lovers back, pressing a kiss to the mop of curls atop his head. _

_ “Be happy we were able to spend these past nights together, at least- it is quite rare that our schedules align to give us as much.” _

_ “I know, I know. Trust me, I do, and I’m _ more than _ grateful for it. But…” Anthony’s voice trailed off, softened, before he finished. “But I’ll miss you.” _

_ Loki’s heart surged with happiness and he couldn’t help but smile even though he knew Anthony couldn’t see it. _

_ “Oh, my sweet, I will miss you too. But I promise I will be waiting here for you the moment you return. JARVIS has agreed to alert me when your flight lands so I may be here. I already have plans to celebrate your return; candle light dinner, dancing, a walk on the beach, stargazing.” Loki held his lover closer with a content sigh when he felt Anthony smile against his chest, before pausing. “Ah, remind me where you are going, again?” _

_ Anthony sighed, pressed a kiss to Loki’s chest and then snuggled even closer before answering. _

_ “Afghanistan.” _

_ *** _

They lay together in the aftermath, curled around one another, limbs entangled, hearts beating together, just...breathing.

Anthony was quiet, long enough that Loki thought he may have fallen asleep, before the other spoke, voice soft. 

“Loki?”

“Mm, yes, darling?”

Anthony was silent for a moment before asking hesitantly, voice small in a way that did not fit, “Do you think we’ll win?”

Loki took a moment to parse this over, rolling the question around his head, knowing his next words would be much more important to Anthony than he would ever let on. 

“I think,” Loki began slowly. “That the Mad-Titan has us backed quite thoroughly into a corner, and that he is planning on using that to his advantage.” When he felt Anthony nod his agreement against his chest, Loki continued. “However, I also believe this will be his downfall. He believes, because of our predicament, it will be an easy win. He will bring the battle to Midgard if he can because he believes he will not have anyone to challenge him; he is of another world, after all, and has yet to see the tenacity of the human race. You people are quite stubborn, and much stronger than he will account for.”

“Oh?” Anthony hummed softly, looking up at Loki with curiosity in his eyes. 

“Oh, absolutely,” Loki agreed. “Because of your shorter lifespans, you mortals are forever growing, manipulating, changing. You are not content with mediocrity and you dislike being complacent; you strive to improve and it is because of this that you evolve. It is because of this that you will win. He has backed you into this corner, entirely clueless as to how truly _ dangerous _you can be when you do not have a choice.” 

“Well,” Anthony murmured in a teasing tone. “You can’t really count me in with those _ mortals _anymore, y’know.” 

“Oh, I know,” Loki hummed and nodded. “But you belong to them, and they to you. You will fight for them because you are a representation of _ who they are _ . You are all of the best parts of humanity, and you will win because it is your only choice. And one day, in the near or distant future, you will lead them into a new era. This, Anthony, is who you are and _ this _ is why you will win.”

He felt more than saw Anthony’s smile, and couldn’t help but hold his lover closer. 

“We have a lot to do y’know. Getting the Soul stone is the first step; it’s what’s gonna have to set our plans in motion,” Anthony pointed out. “Now, our only choice is Plan A.”

Loki hummed and nodded; there was no point in arguing, not when he knew it to be true. And as much as he dreaded what was coming, he knew the end result would be well worth it. 

“Yes, we do,” Loki agreed easily. “But we must enjoy this while we can have it. For now, let us have tonight. Tomorrow, we will worry. But tonight...tonight is for us.” 

Loki tilted Anthony’s head up with a gentle finger beneath his chin, pressing a soft kiss to his lover’s lips, relishing in the heat of Anthony’s body pressed so thoroughly against his own, warming him to his very core. 

Anthony hummed, soft and pleased, the sound vibrating through his chest and into Loki’s, and Loki merely held him closer. 

Yes, tonight was for them. 

Tomorrow, the worry and the fear and the panic would come crashing down upon their shoulders, along with the doubts and the unease but here, in a soft bed warmed by their bodies, the moonlight shining her smiling face upon them, and the fresh-apple scent of the air sweeping in their open window, here there was nothing but Anthony Stark and Loki Laufeyson laid bare to one another, love in their hearts and fire in their souls and an ironclad will to survive cradled between their interwoven fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t resist the fluff. Really, I couldn’t. Please leave a comment and kudos on the way out! I love the feedback!  
Also, I sometimes find myself struggling with the fact that Tony no longer has the reactor and have had to edit it out in a few parts. If you catch parts that I have missed, please let me know!


	7. REALITY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow. So this chapter was incredibly difficult to write, and I’m still not entirely happy with how it turned out, but I fixed everything I could so I hope you all still enjoy!

Tony looked around in distaste. 

Turned out, Svartalfhiem was kind of ugly. Not really because there was a lot of ugly stuff to see, but more because of the _ lack _of stuff. 

As far as he could see there was only dirt, a slim smattering of dead trees, and a few randomly stacked rock formations framed by a gray, sunless sky. 

Turning his gaze back around, he couldn’t help the shudder that ran through him at the sight of the dark entrance of the cave, wide open and pitch black and practically screaming _ do not come in here _. 

“Perhaps you should wait out here, my love,” Loki murmured, resting a hand against the small of his back, concern shining brightly in his eyes. 

Tony thought about it for a moment, really truly _ thought _, eyeing the cave warily even as he leaned into the warmth of Loki’s hand against his back. 

Okay, so it was a cave. Anyone who even kind of knew him knew about his issue with caves. They were damp, dark, cold and _ oh yeah _ , he was kidnapped and _ tortured _ in one for three very long months. On his bad days, those memories could still drive him into a panic at the very least, and render him completely unaware and incoherent at the worst. On his good ones, he didn’t even _ think _about it anymore and only occasionally felt a vague sense of discomfort because of the weight of the reactor that used to reside in his chest. 

So no, they weren’t his favorite place to be. 

But in the end, the fear of letting Loki go in there _ alone _ far outweighed the fear of the cave itself, and he found himself shaking his head before he’d even fully comprehended that. 

“No. We go in together or we don’t go in at all,” Tony said resolutely. 

Loki watched him for a moment, eyes narrowed and intense, searching his face. He seemed to be having some sort of internal debate- and if Loki tried to leave him out here alone, Tony would withhold blowjobs for a _ year _\- before nodding to himself and saying tersely,

“Very well. Should you change your mind, you _ must _ tell me before we enter. My magic will not allow me to teleport you out once we are inside.” 

And _ that _was just all well and dandy, but Tony had no intentions of changing his mind. 

However, he couldn’t help but find his curiosity piqued at the new knowledge. 

“Not that I plan on leaving you in there alone, but why won’t it?” He asked. 

“The cave will neutralize it. As soon as we step past the threshold, it will bind my magic within me so I cannot use it.”

Tony hummed and nodded in understanding before another thought occurred to him. 

“So...how, exactly, will we get it? I don’t imagine we can just waltz inside and take it.”

“I am...unaware of the specifications of this journey. Only two others have attempted this journey. Only one returned, severely lacking in sanity and coherency.”

Tony felt the beginnings of dread curl unpleasantly in his stomach, thoughts racing faster than he could sort them out, a cold sweat breaking out on his palms. 

“Well that sounds...unpleasant,” he offered weakly. 

“Oh, I have no doubt it will be,” Loki nodded grimly. “But...if we stand any chance against Thanos, this is the only choice we have.”

Tony nodded and then took a deep breath, steeling himself before he waltzed forward with a bravado he didn’t feel, stopping at the mouth of the cave before looking over his shoulder at Loki, who stood frozen a few paces behind him in surprise. 

“Well then,” Tony grinned broadly. “What are we waiting for?” 

And then he stepped inside.

Some irrational part of him expected something terrible to happen- maybe his feet would find nothing but air and he would fall for an eternity; maybe some huge monster with a thousand teeth would pop out and try to eat him; maybe he would just spontaneously explode and that would be the end of it. 

But, none of that happened. 

No, he just found himself...standing in the dark cavern, feet on solid ground and eyes struggling to adjust. 

He turned back around, waiting, eyes settling on Loki, who hesitated for a brief moment before stepping inside with him. 

A faint red shimmer washed over him, and Loki looked distinctly uncomfortable, going stiff and tense, before it faded into nothingness, leaving them alone in the dark once more. 

Tony felt unease shiver down his spine as Loki stared down at his hand like he expected something to happen, before the god said tensely,

“My magic has been bound.” 

And they’d both been expecting it, they had, but that didn’t make the knowledge any easier to cope with. Now, they were completely unarmed in a dark, possibly magical cave. 

Tony nodded to himself, pulled in a deep breath and reached backwards, knowing Loki’s hand would find his, and didn’t move forward again until his boyfriends fingers were twined firmly with his own, locking them together. 

Staring into the darkness, only vaguely able to make out the shadowy blobs that made out the walls of the cave, he took one step forward, and then another and another until they were both moving steadily forward. 

They didn’t speak, neither of them daring to break the heavy silence that had fallen around them; all there was for them to do was keep walking, and even that started to get difficult after a time, weariness starting to set in and quickly morphing into exhaustion the longer they walked. 

What felt like days but could have only been a couple of hours later, Tony caught sight of a dimly lit door as they rounded a bend in the path.

Something like deja vu niggled at the back of his mind but he ignored it, letting his fingers slip from Loki’s as he rushed forward, fingers scrabbling at the metal handle to get it open; in his urgency, he didn’t even think to peer through the small rectangular slat in the door, too anxious to get in. 

What he saw froze him in his tracks, fear like ice water and electricity shooting down his spine. 

To the right was a flimsy cot with a small fire pit in front of it; directly in front of him was a multitude of metal tables and to the left, a large bucket of murky water. 

Breath beginning to wheeze in his suddenly tight chest, he slowly made his way towards the table directly in front of him, steps slow and shuffling, completely empty except for a crudely made metal face mask; one he recognized all too well, one he remembered pounding into shape with a hammer and cooling in water, one he remembered dropping down in front of a thin doctor who eyed him with hope and pride. 

With shaking hands, he reached out towards the face plate.

His trembling fingers had barely brushed the metal before he was assaulted with the sounds of screaming and gunfire, flames and burning coals and car batteries and missiles flashing violently across his vision and he couldn’t help but let out a startled yelp and scramble backwards so fast he fell ass first into the dirt, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he felt dizzy with it. 

“Loki,” he gasped out, still crawling backwards, eyes squeezed shut against the dizzying array of images still plaguing him, the sounds still grating violently in his ears and leaving him so panicked, he could hardly draw a breath in past the vice of fear clenched around his chest. “Loki, Loki, plea-”

He was cut off as he fell backwards, the ground beneath him vanishing, and he wasn’t even aware what he had fallen into until the icy water was closing above his head, his breath trapped in his lungs as the water pressed oppressively against his chest. 

He tried to claw his way upwards, to get up, to get _ out _, but no matter how hard he swam, he couldn’t find the top. 

Distantly, he could hear voices screaming at him in a language he didn’t understand but he knew them, he _ knew _ that language, those voices, and his vision was graying out, diming, his heart still pounding painfully, rapidly, but he couldn’t breathe and everything hurt, muscles spasming with phantom electricity and oh god, he can’t _ breathe _ , please, someone, _ please _…

And just as suddenly as it was there, the water is gone but he still can’t fucking breathe. 

His eyes flew open _ (when did he close them?) _ and there’s...nothing. He’s surrounded by absolute _ blackness _, and the voices are gone, and the water is gone, and it’s so oppressively silent that he can’t even hear the blood rushing in his ears despite still feeling his heart pound in his chest. 

He’s floating, he’s floating and there’s nothing, just darkness and pressure and silence and he thinks maybe he’s been here for days, months, years, decades, and just as he thinks he’s fading, that's it, he's _ dying _, he’ll be safe and gone, he’s spat out onto solid ground. 

He doesn’t even realize he’s not breathing until he’s heaving instead, folded onto his hands and knees on the hard rock of the cave, sobbing in between painful heaves. 

The contents of his stomach are expelled onto the ground and he’s only saved from collapsing into the puddle of sick by clammy, shaking hands grasping at his shoulders and pulling him backwards against a familiar, trembling body. 

His fingers curl in Loki’s shirt, refusing to let go, and he cries and cries until he’s too exhausted to cry anymore, to do anything but lie listlessly in Loki’s arms. 

Loki sits with him, saying nothing until Tony has calmed and when he does speak, his voice is rough and raw sounding. 

“Anthony,” he murmurs and Tony looks up at him with dry, swollen eyes, too numb to feel much of anything at all. “Anthony, Look.” 

Distantly, he takes in Loki’s haggard, disheveled appearance, his red rimmed eyes, the sweat tracking clean trails through the dirt on his face, and wonders absently how he looks. It can’t be much better. 

Slowly, Tony’s eyes travel from Loki’s face to his shoulder, following the line of his outstretched arm and finally lowering further to settle on his hand. 

Nestled in the palm of Loki’s hand, trapped within a small glass container, rests a softly glowing red gem. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did also want to let you all know that I will be going back to once weekly postings! Every Sunday, now, but I’m starting a second job and won’t have much time to work on this!


	8. BEFORE (PART IV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this one was a real struggle. I’m still not entirely pleased with how it turned out but no amount of editing helped fix it

It is dark out, by the time they find their way back to their home on Midgard. 

Dark and dreary, rain pattering gently against their windows, soothing in its soft, melodic fall. 

Anthony had not spoken a word of what he saw, and neither had Loki; he did not tell his lover of the Void and the darkness and the ice and the Other, of Thanos on a world unknown, of silence and fear so intense he could hardly breathe past the weight of it on his chest, of threads in his lips and poison and snakes and children. 

It was quiet but for the rain, and they sat in silence, curled together beneath the blankets, not saying a word, not  _ needing  _ to, held close in one another’s arms, trembling but safe. 

Silently, Loki reminisced, his mind turning inward, a hand stroking soothingly up and down, up and down Anthony’s back as he did. 

It was another time, of course, but just as heavy. 

Distantly, he thinks it was raining then, too. 

*** 

_ Anthony could not lay on his back, anymore; not for long, at least. _

_ The reactor was too heavy to allow him that.  _

_ “Starts pressing in weird places,” Anthony had said with a pained smile. “Makes it hard to breathe.”  _

_ Now, he slept sprawled across Loki’s body, his glowing chest resting warmly against Loki’s torso, head pillowed on Loki’s chest, ear resting directly over where his heart pounded a steady beat.  _

_ It was probably soothing, Loki mused. Anthony had always been a rather tactile person, but now it varied- sometimes, he wanted (needed) to be touching Loki, whether it be holding hands, tangling their legs together under the sheets, or simply twining their pinkies together when in public. These times, he would laugh and smile and ramble on about things Loki did not understand, about theories and metals and laws, happiness in every feature.  _

_ Other times, he flinched at every minuscule touch, curled himself into a ball and shivered, and didn’t say anything at all.  _

_ Loki dreaded those days, the ones where Anthony’s eyes would go distant and glassy, where he would lock himself in his lab for hours at a time and emerge smelling of scotch and motor oil, small burns littering his hands and arms, eyes red rimmed and swollen.  _

_ Today was one of those days.  _

_ When Loki had awoken early that morning, Anthony had already been gone, his side of the bed cold and wrinkled and Loki sighed, rolling onto his back and watching the color on the ceiling gradually shift from blue to purple to pink to yellow.  _

_ Anthony had been back for just over a month, and Loki swore he spent more days in the lab than he did with him (and Loki understood, he did, but he missed his Anthony more than he could put into words).  _

_ Still, Loki rolled himself out of bed, showered, and then made his love breakfast, knowing it was unlikely Anthony would have eaten anything at all yet. He had a rather terrible habit of forgetting to eat, and it had only gotten worse since his return from Afghanistan. Before, it would have been because he was immersed in some exciting project or another; now, it would have been because he was nauseated and could not stomach the food.  _

_ However, Loki found himself lost and confused, standing before his lovers lab holding a tray with Anthony’s steaming meal, the glass windows frosted and impossible to see through, the door locked and remaining firmly closed.  _

_ “My apologies, Loki,” JARVIS spoke softly, sounding genuinely apologetic. Loki had talked JARVIS out of calling him ‘Mr. Laufeyson’ ages ago. “Sir has gone on full lock down mode- he does not want anyone coming in.” The  _ ‘not even you’ _ went unsaid, but Loki heard it anyways, and felt something uncomfortable pulse in the unsteady beat of his heart, a nauseating mixture of fear and concern.  _

_ “He is well?” Loki asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer. _

_ “Sir is...as well as he can be, given the circumstances.”  _

_ Loki nodded, sighing softly, and settled the tray on the ground just in front of the door.  _

_ “Please tell him I have left his breakfast, will you, JARVIS?” _

_ “Of course, Loki.”  _

_ “Thank you.” _

_ And so Loki returned upstairs, alone, to eat his meal at their dining room table with the cloud-dulled sunlight filtering in through the large windows, directly upon the chair Anthony had claimed (the rays hit that spot just right, Anthony had said one day when Loki questioned his lovers insistence in sitting in that particular chair. Warms me up, you’re too frosty, he had uttered with a grin, and Loki tickled him until he caved).  _

_ After he had cleaned his mess in the kitchen, Loki curled himself into one of the plush armchairs in their living room, tucked into a corner near one of the windows, and pulled one of his favorite novels out of his pocket dimension, settling himself in for a long afternoon of reading, the rain still pounding away at the windows.  _

_ He quickly lost himself in the words, pausing only long enough to send a flicker of magic into the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea and float it out and into the living room, unwilling to leave his chair once he had found a comfortable spot, too immersed in his novel to bother with such trivial things as  _ walking _ .  _

_ Loki was not entirely sure how much time had passed, but the next time he looked up, Anthony was sprawled over the couch directly across from him, hair sticking up in every direction, clothes singed and splattered with oil and other miscellaneous things Loki would rather not attempt to identify, dark smudges beneath his half lidded eyes, a mug of steaming coffee cradled carefully between his hands, a soft smile delicately tugging up the corners of his mouth.  _

_ Loki took in the look of his lover with a warring mixture of worry and fondness, carefully folding his book back into his pocket dimension and curling his fingers around the mug hovering near the armrest of his chair, taking it with him as he went to stand between Anthony’s spread thighs, reaching a hand out to his lover to absently smooth down the disastrous locks of hair.  _

_ “You have been ignoring me, lately,” Loki mused, soft and casual, void of the accusation and hurt he almost desperately found himself wanting to voice.  _

_ Anthony gazed up at him, lips curling in faint amusement, head tipping back to rest against the cushions. _

_ “Have I?” Anthony asked loftily, a smirk in his voice. His eyes traced slow, burning pathways down and then back up Loki’s body suggestively. “Perhaps I’ll have to make it up to you, then,” he murmured, tongue darting out to wet his lips, and Loki felt a hot flare of irritation bubble up inside him at the attempt to turn his attentions elsewhere.  _

_ “Or perhaps,” he said stiffly. “You would care to explain  _ why _ .”  _

_ The poor attempt at seduction faded and Anthony sighed, facade dropping, running a hand tiredly through his hair, gazing up at Loki like he may very well contain the answers to the universe.  _

_ “Why indeed,” Anthony murmured, his eyes burning fever bright when they met Loki’s again.  _

_ Abruptly, Anthony stood, putting himself face to face with Loki, pressing a delicate kiss to the corner of his lips before stepping around him and shifting his mug to one hand so he could tangle his fingers with Loki’s and lead him towards the stairs.  _

_ “This does not look like an explanation, Anthony.”  _

_ Anthony shook his head, but did not stop walking. “I don’t know how to tell you,” he admitted grudgingly. “But I  _ can  _ show you.”  _

_ Well, Loki supposed that would have to do.  _

_ And, he would admit to finding himself rather curious. Anthony very rarely locked himself in the lab for so long unless it was important, and Loki had always found his lovers creations terribly fascinating. It was part of Anthony's appeal, after all. The man was quite literally a genius, and Loki admired his intelligence just as much as he admired the man himself.  _

_ Soon, Loki found himself standing inside the lab, looking around curiously, passing over the empty coffee mugs and glass bottles littered across every flat surface they possibly could, a twinge of concern tugging at his chest, before his eyes landed in the center of the room.  _

_ It was  _ beautiful _ . _

_ It was elegance at its finest, made up of smooth lines and clean edges, strength writ in its hardy yet stunning appearance, gleaming brilliantly beneath the white lights of Anthony’s lab, it’s center glowing like Anthony’s blue-fire heart, an incredible testament of his creativity and craftsmanship; the mark of a true creator, a life builder, a genius.  _

_ Carefully, Loki dragged his fingers across the cool metal, eyes wide in fascination and awe.  _

_ “This is why…” Loki trailed off, unable to take his eyes off of the beauty before him.  _

_ “This is why I’ve been, ah, ignoring you, yes,” Anthony confirmed with a nod.  _

_ “What is it?” Loki asked, finally turning to face his lover.  _

_ Anthony grinned sharply, something cold and dangerous hovering at the cracked edges of his sanity, red and gold reflecting brightly in his eyes as they settled on his creation. _

_ “My revenge.”  _

_ *** _

Loki remembered it as though it had been yesterday, the look of determination sparkling in Anthony’s fever bright eyes as he had explained to Loki exactly what it was for, and how he had first come to craft it. 

In a cave, with a box of scraps, he’d said. 

And now, looking down at the fitfully dozing man in his arms, Loki could not help the cold grin from spreading across his face, his own cracked edges struggling to mend beneath the weight of terror and destruction roiling through his mind. 

Upon witnessing, once more, the strength and tenacity of his lover, witnessing his brilliance and his will, Loki could feel something building in his chest, unfamiliar but far from unwelcome.

Hope. 

Loki allowed his eyes to fall closed, holding his lover closer. 

Anthony would win. He would wreak havoc, and he would win; he was not one to be idle, he was far too forward thinking for that. No, Anthony was brave and strong and brilliant and so many other things Loki could not even begin to name, but above all, Anthony was fiercely loyal to those that were  _ his. _ His planet, his people, his lover. 

Anthony would win for all of them. 

Slowly, Loki drifted, his lover cradled in his arms and a mantra in his head, soothing him to sleep. 

_ ‘What is it?’ (what will you be, Anthony?) _

_ My revenge….my revenge….my revenge…. _

  
  



	9. TIME

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!   
I’m back! 
> 
> Wow, so it’s been a while. I do not have this story completely finished, but as it’s getting close, I decided to start posting again. 
> 
> Once a week, hopefully, though the day’s which this gets updated will probably vary. 
> 
> That being said, I apologize in advance for this chapter; I’m not a fan of how it turned out, but I figured I had kept you waiting long enough and I just could not keep editing it- nothing I seemed to do was fixing it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it nonetheless, and if you do, shoot me a comment or a kudos! I love seeing what you have to say! 
> 
> Thank you all to who are still reading, and I’ll see you next week!

Getting back to Earth was a lot easier than Tony expected, but going through the Bifrost? Incredible. 

Loki had warned him about keeping his eyes shut, but there was no way Tony was going to miss an opportunity like this so he’d stubbornly kept them open. 

He couldn’t even begin to regret doing that. 

Oh, as soon as they’d landed on solid ground, his knees had buckled and he’d heaved painfully into the grass, emptying his stomach of its contents, but it had been  _ so  _ worth it. 

For a moment, he was able to see it all. 

Past the whirring colors, past the darkness and the stars, he’d seen  _ everything.  _

And it had been beautiful. 

The pathways interlocked, looking like tree branches, huge and gnarled and elegant, twisting together, leading to the different realms. He’d seen snow and fire and gold and water and so many other things he couldn’t even try to describe, and a tree so large he couldn’t even see the top of it. 

And then it was over, and he was heaving, and Loki was sighing, magic flaring green as he teleported them to the tower, and he couldn’t help but think;  _ we are so doing that again.  _

Or maybe he voiced it, he couldn’t be sure, but Loki was looking down at him with a fond smile and pulling him carefully upright, hand resting supportively on the small of his back. 

“What now?” Tony asked, gazing around the penthouse of his tower, frowning as he took in the disaster that it still was- they’d been gone a few days, and no one had bothered to  _ fix _ it? That was just rude. 

His gaze flit over to the window and he couldn’t help but shudder at the shattered glass that remained; that certainly wasn’t a good memory, and from the fractured look Loki was giving it, he was thinking the same thing. 

“Now,” Loki answered at last, tearing his gaze from the window. “Now we get something to eat, and then we rest.” 

With a flick of his wrist and a smattering of green sparks, the penthouse slowly started to fix itself. It was fascinating to watch, like something out of Harry Potter, and Tony couldn’t help but grin, watching as blood was cleaned and glass was mended and furniture was righted. 

“Mm,” Tony hummed and nodded his agreement. “I could eat.” He waved a hand distractedly outwards. “Wake up, everyone, daddy’s home.” 

Almost immediately, the lights flickered to life, and a moment later, a comfortingly familiar voice rang out, 

“Welcome home, sir.” 

Tony’s grin widened. “Man, is it good to hear your voice, JARVIS.” 

“I never thought I would say so, sir, but it is quite good to hear yours as well,” JARVIS stated dryly, though his voice was tinged with relief  _ (and Tony still marveled at the fact that he created an AI that could even voice relief, let alone all of the other things JARVIS often voiced).  _

Tony couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from his throat and he reached a hand out blindly to tangle his fingers with Loki’s, knowing that the other would always find his hand. 

“It is good to see you as well, Loki,” JARVIS continued, and Tony looked back at his boyfriend in time to catch the pleasantly surprised smile on his face. 

“You as well, JARVIS, though I  _ do  _ hope I will not be taking any impromptu trips out the window?” 

“I shall certainly endeavor not to do so, Loki.” 

Tony snorted but dragged Loki towards their bedroom, listening to Loki and JARVIS’s light banter on their way over, warming at the familiar sound. 

Kicking off his shoes and tossing his coat on the floor, he threw himself onto their bed with a content sigh, wriggling around until he was comfortably propped against the pile of cushy pillows resting along the headboard, staring pointedly at Loki until he got the hint and rolled his eyes, but obediently followed suit, settling himself on Tony’s right side, a comfortable warmth pressing against him. 

Only once Tony stared at him again, though, did Loki sigh dramatically and wave a hand lazily through the air, magically procuring them both something to eat- absolutely mouthwatering cheeseburgers, and Tony made grabby hands as soon as the scent reached his nose. 

Biting into the burger, he moaned happily, and leaned over to rub his head against Loki’s cheek in thanks, too busy devouring his food to say anything. 

Loki, however, merely wrinkled his nose in equal parts disgust and fondness and, ever the prince, delicately bit into his burger, taking a much smaller bite than Tony had and finishing his bite before murmuring, 

“You are quite welcome, Anthony.” 

After that, they are their food in silence, Loki wordlessly procuring bottles of water for them as well. 

Quietly, Tony pondered how they were going to play out their next move- they both knew where the stone was located, but getting it would be much more difficult. 

Tony had only met with Dr. Stephen Strange on one other occasion, at some fancy business conference or another, maybe a charity event but he wasn’t quite sure, and neither of them had gotten along; both of them were too opinionated, too intelligent and brash and they had butted heads so intensely that they had actually had to be placed in separate rooms lest their arguing spiral into something more violent. 

There had been a good amount of name calling, an intense amount of subtle yet cutting insults, a rather indecent amount of schmoozing, and brazen shows of intelligence or mild sabotage in an attempt to one up the other. 

It had actually been a lot of fun. 

It was rare for Tony to find someone who went head to head with him (aside from Loki, of course), and when he found that rare someone, he couldn’t let them go, and that often lead to more problems than anyone could handle.

Hence the separate rooms. 

So no, Tony and Strange didn’t get along, but Tony was betting it would be Strange’s intellect that got them the stone. In the end, Strange  _ was  _ a smart man; not as smart as Tony, but close, and once they had explained, he would hopefully see the merit in giving them the stone. 

If not...well. 

Between a genius and a god, they could find other, less civil ways of getting their next gem. 

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Tony turned his gaze onto Loki, who was swallowing down a mouthful of water, and couldn’t help but wonder what his boyfriend had seen; how bad it truly must have been for Loki to just...not say anything at all. 

Tony recognized that faraway, haunted look in the others eyes- had no doubt it was in his own right now, had stared it down in the mirror more times than he’d ever like to admit, and he found himself desperately wanting to get  _ rid  _ of it. 

Loki put his water back on the nightstand, and Tony tugged him closer and then down, wriggling them around until they were laying down instead of sitting, the plush blankets pulled over them, cocooning them.

Loki blinked leisurely, amusement slowly working its way into his eyes as Tony wiggled until he found a comfortable position, and then pulled Loki even closer, settling his boyfriend in with his head pillowed on Tony’s chest, one of Tony’s arms around his shoulders, Loki’s arm slung over his waist, their legs tangled together, pressing them together completely. 

“Get some sleep,” Tony murmured softly into Loki’s hair. “I’ll be here. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.” 

“Mm,” Loki hummed and nodded, settling more comfortably against Tony. “Indeed we do. Rest, my love, and I will be here for you as well.” 

Warmth bloomed in Tony’s chest, pushing out some of the dark iciness that had settled hollowly beneath his ribs after their time in the cave, and he couldn’t help but smile and press his face into Loki’s hair, inhaling deeply and holding him tighter, before allowing himself to drift off to the sound of Loki’s steady, even breaths. 

***

Morning found them appearing within the front doors of Strange’s house at the foot of a large, ornate staircase, and a voice calling out from atop it, 

“It took you long enough.” 

Tony’s head swiveled immediately, gaze landing on Strange who was…floating down the stairs, a bright red cape flowing leisurely behind him. 

Loki make an inquisitive sound, part amusement and part curiosity, and Tony just blinked; this certainly wasn’t the same Strange as last time, and Tony said as much. 

Strange snorted and rolled his eyes, saying, 

“You turned into a superhero with a flashlight in your chest, Stark; I think it’s safe to say neither of us are the same.” 

Tony tilted his head conciliatorily, and said, 

“Yeah, alright, that’s fair. But- a cape, seriously? Did no one learn  _ anything  _ from The Incredibles?” 

Strange just stared at him, dead eyed and unimpressed, so Tony sighed but continued, 

“Okay, so we need the time turner.” 

“Alright.” 

Tony froze in shock and felt Loki still beside him; a predator waiting to pounce. 

A trap. 

Right? It had to be. 

Strange is a wizard now, okay, and he’s in charge of guarding the Time Stone; handing it over to Tony without so much as questioning the reason why it was needed would be like, the  _ worst  _ thing to do, given his propensity for mild explosions and poking at things he knows are only going to hurt. 

Strange knows this.

_ Everyone  _ knows this. 

So….why? 

“I used it,” Strange answered their unasked question, eyes solely focused on Tony, like Loki wasn’t even there. “Accidentally, but I did. I know what’s coming, Stark, and while I may not like that you’re dating Public Enemy Number One, and while I may not particularly like  _ you, _ I do, against my better judgement, trust that you have the universe's best interests at heart.” Strange did an odd hand gesture in front of the gaudy necklace hanging around his neck and slowly, it opened, revealing a gently glowing green gem. Slowly, carefully, it settled itself into a small wooden box Strange procured from...somewhere, the glow cutting off abruptly as Strange snapped the box shut. 

Strange held it out but paused halfway to Tony’s outstretched hand, eyes darting to Loki- who still hadn’t moved- and then back to Tony. 

“If he gets ahold of this gem, that’s it. He’ll have the power to redo it as many times as it takes to get the rest. Guard this with your life- both of you. Because if Thanos gets it, he’s won.” 

Something cold and uncomfortable shuddered down Tony’s spine, and Loki tensed even further at the mention of his torturer. 

Tony slid closer and tangled their fingers together before holding out his free hand, twitching his fingers for the box and ignoring the discomfort at being handed something- this was too important to let a stupid little hang up like that get in the way. 

Strange slowly closed the distance between them, box held hesitantly aloft, and Tony clasped his fingers around it, squeezing it tightly. 

“You may not want to trust me with this, Strange, but trust my fear.”  _ Trust that the last time I was this scared, I blew up a terrorist organization. Trust that the last time I felt fear like this, I flew a nuke into space. Trust that I’m most dangerous when I’m afraid of what will happen if I’m not.  _ “He will never get his hands on this.” 

Strange watched him searchingly for a long moment before nodding once, sharply- and then he released the edge of the box entirely, trusting it in Tony’s hands. 

Immediately, Tony passed it to Loki, who swirled it into his pocket dimension with ease, eyes never leaving Strange’s face. 

“Do we have an ally in you, Stephen?” Loki spoke finally, eyes dark and serious, face intent. 

Strange eyed them for a moment before saying, 

“If it is necessary, and the time is right.” 

Loki nodded and didn’t give either of them time to say anything else- his fingers tightened around Tony’s and suddenly, they were back in the penthouse with their newest Infinity Gem safely in their grasp, and their future looming ominously before them.


	10. BEFORE (PART. V)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THIS CHAPTER!!!!
> 
> Hello! Hi! 
> 
> I’ve decided to grace you all with two chapters today since I made you all wait for so long- that being said, this is the second posting of the day. Chapter 9 is no longer the update chapter, but has been edited and replaced with ACTUAL chapter 9, so if you have not read the chapter titled Time, you need to do so before continuing to read this one!

As their future battle drew closer, Loki saw less and less of Anthony. 

Any time they spent searching for the final Infinity Stones was easily doubled by that which Anthony spent in his lab. 

Anthony dodged easily, whenever Loki pondered what had stolen his attention so thoroughly, so he quickly learned not to ask, lest he find himself distracted by his lover folding to his knees with a mischievous smirk, purring  _ “don’t we have better things to do with our time, Snowflake?” _ and, well, that certainly wasn’t something Loki could argue with. 

This time, however, had been the longest Anthony had ever stayed in his lab since Loki’s return. 

It had been five days since they had gotten the Time Stone, and Loki hadn’t seen his lover for four and a half of them. 

Loki had even taken to pestering JARVIS, who had apologetically stated that Anthony was on full lock down and was not to be bothered for anything less than life threatening- which unfortunately included annoyed  _ (lonely)  _ gods. 

After his latest failed attempt at drawing his lover from his lab, Loki sighed and wandered into their bedroom, drawing Anthony’s favorite, god awful pink blanket around him. It really was terribly soft and warm, and a good substitute for his lovers arms, despite its bubblegum shade. 

Quietly, Loki let his magic flow throughout the room, idly straightening small messes or folding strewn about clothing, windows opening to let in the cool air and the scent of saltwater, soft pink and orange light from the setting sun warming the room, the lamp flickering on beside the puffy chair he had settled himself onto. 

His newest novel was drawn from his pocket dimension and, whilst he waited for his absent lover, he began to read. 

*** 

_ It wasn’t the first time, Loki knew, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last that he waited for days upon days for Anthony to return from the lab.  _

_ Whereas before, Loki would have been beside himself with concern (Anthony had spent most of the time in his lab drinking and drunkenly tinkering, when he had first returned from Afghanistan), now he only felt mild loneliness and exasperated fondness.  _

_ Anthony had healed, slowly but surely, the broken cracks filling in, the fire returning to his eyes, the laughter to his soul, the very warmth he had radiated growing stronger with each passing day until Loki was drawn in, irrevocably and unequivocally, like a moth to a flame, his own fear of burning long since passed.  _

_ This time, Loki had not seen Anthony for three days and it grated on him, the need to hold his lover, to kiss him, but he could not find it in himself to bother, not when he knew this only happened when it was something truly important.  _

_ And so he waited, unhappy but content enough, moving quietly through his daily routines, idly chatting with JARVIS, reading, working; anything, really, to pass the time.  _

_ It was peaceful, in a way; Anthony was fire and he was passion and he was curiosity and so incredibly  _ bright,  _ that sometimes Loki found himself blinded in his light.  _

_ Having time alone, safe and in their home, was something both of them often needed, even if they longed for one another- a way to reset, to restart, to breathe without fear of breathing down the others neck.  _

_ But three days was more than enough, and just as Loki was debating asking JARVIS to have his love come up at the soonest possible opportunity, he heard the familiar stumble of a sleep deprived Anthony making his way up the stairs.  _

_ Louder than a herd of elephants, that was for certain, but Loki couldn’t help but smile anyways, looking up from his book as Anthony entered, hair standing every which way, clothes splattered with oil and charcoal and an indecent amount of white foam.  _

_ “You look absolutely dazzling, my love,” Loki teased, unable to keep the delighted grin from his face, and Anthony scowled deeply.  _

_ “It wasn’t even a fire, Lokes,” Anthony mourned dramatically. “I changed my hologram color from blue to orange and Dummy was on me before I knew what hit me.”  _

_ Loki tossed his head back and laughed.  _

_ In hindsight, he should have seen it coming. Truly, he should have.  _

_ Hindsight, however, did him no good when not two seconds later, he had fire extinguisher foam  _ in his hair. 

_ His laughter died slowly, the look on his face turning murderous and Anthony stared at him, wide eyed, hand still raised from where it had tossed the foam at him, before he abruptly shrieked and raced from the room.  _

_ Loki couldn’t help the dark smile that passed across his face as he took off after his lover, book laying forgotten in his chair, the need for revenge and the undeniable urge to cause mischief surging him forward, a hand darting out and turning cool and blue without a second thought, ice forming along the floor beneath Anthony’s feet.  _

_ Anthony went down hard, yelping in shock, before springing back to his feet and taking off again- and with a laugh of delight, Loki followed.  _

_ And so the game had begun.  _

_ Anthony may not have been as strong or quick as Loki, but he was  _ clever,  _ twisting and turning his way through their home, evading Loki at every turn, leaping over ice patches and ducking to avoid snowballs.  _

_ But even the mighty fall, and their chase came to an abrupt end in the kitchen, the pair facing off against one another, Loki armed with a ridiculous amount of snowballs and Anthony aiming the sinks removable nozzle at him with one hand on the tap.  _

_ “Truce?” Anthony asked with a cheeky grin.  _

_ Loki eyed him for a moment before nodding, carefully dropping the snowballs on the ground.  _

_ “Truce,” he agreed, and Anthony grinned in triumph, putting the nozzle back and stepping away from the sink- and that’s when Loki made his move.  _

_ With a fierce battle cry, Loki flung himself forward and stuffed his single remaining snowball down Anthony’s pants.  _

_ Anthony shrieked from the cold and danced around, attempting to remove the snow, and Loki laughed openly, happiness and delight warming him to his very core.  _

_ “You-!” Anthony spluttered, racing at him and now armed with a pair of tongs, but Loki merely grinned and took the assault head on, using Anthony’s momentum to spin them and pin him against the wall.  _

_ “You should have known better than to trust the God of Mischief, dear heart,” Loki purred.  _

_ Anthony’s eyes darkened, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips, Loki’s eyes tracking his every movement.  _

_ “It would appear you’ve won,” Anthony murmured. “What do you want from me?” _

_ Loki grinned, leaning in to kiss Anthony fiercely before nipping along his jaw towards his ear, whispering;  _

_ “Everything.”  _

_ *** _

When Anthony does finally make his way from the lab, he stumbles his way over to Loki and collapses into his lap, hardly seeming to notice the book he had almost crushed beneath his weight. 

Loki says nothing, merely runs his fingers through Anthony’s hair, a frown furrowing his brow at the press of fever hot skin against his own, but waits for his love to speak. 

When he does, he sounds exhausted, fingers curling loosely in the blanket still wound around Loki’s shoulders, a smile in his voice. 

“I knew you liked this thing.” 

Oh, Loki had hated it at first, and the way Anthony insisted they be wrapped within it every night- his mind had struggled to get past the retina blinding bubblegum pink, a small voice in the back of his mind hissing familiar, dark words  _ (a prince of Asgard should never be swathed in such a color),  _ but that point in his life had long since past, and Anthony had been showing him for years just how backwards Asgard had been. 

“Yes, well,” Loki sniffed haughtily, but his fingers never stopped their gentle travel through Anthony’s hair. “ _ Someone _ decided to leave me alone for nearly a week, and this blasted thing has always brought you comfort.” 

Anthony huffed a soft laugh, murmuring, “I know. But it’ll be worth it. Promise.” 

“Something to use in battle against Thanos?” Loki asked curiously, though he was certain he already knew the answer- now, the only times Anthony locked himself away for that long was when he was working on his suits. 

Anthony hummed softly in response and burrowed closer to Loki, tucking himself fully against him. 

Loki smiled fondly, listening as Anthony’s breaths evened out in his sleep. 

It was small moments like these, Loki mused, that made the upcoming fight worth it. 

Moments like this, that reminded him of all he still had to lose, and all that he desperately wished to hold on to. 

Anthony was fighting for them, for the world, for the universe, but Loki? He had never had such a strong moral code, no loyalties to this world, no urge to do good simply for the sake of doing good. He acted only within his best interests, but perhaps that was...changing. 

Anthony loved this world and its people, felt a responsibility to them that he, perhaps, should not, but that had never stopped him. 

Anthony would fight for everyone. 

But here, bathed in warmth from the setting sun, his lover sleeping peacefully in his arms, the comfortable silence broken only by his steady breathing, the scent of motor oil and metal and coconut in the air, something so purely Anthony that Loki found himself pressing his face into his lovers hair and breathing deeply…he knew they would win. 

Because, while Anthony would fight for the world, Loki would fight for  _ them.  _

For snowball fights and petty little arguments, for sleepless nights and passion-tangled limbs, for moonlit talks and harmless pranks, for knife sharpened words and sleepy morning kisses. 

Loki had not found something he so strongly held onto in longer than he would ever care to admit, and so he would  _ hold on.  _

There was much Thanos had taken from him, but he would never have  _ this.  _

And Loki would make sure of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for the shittiness that is chapter 9, I decided to post this one as well because I actually had quite a bit of fun with this one, and it’s turned out to be one of my favorites. 
> 
> Drop a comment or a kudos if you enjoyed, they fuel me! 
> 
> Thank you all for reading and see you next time!


	11. SPACE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Here we are with another chapter! As you can see, I have officially finished writing this! Only a few more chapters to go- I really do apologize if these next few feel rushed; they absolutely are, I won’t argue with that, but I haven’t had much time to write lately, and I really wanted to finish this for you. 
> 
> So! Please, leave me a kudos or comment- I love seeing your thoughts and feedback! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy and I will see you all soon!

Tony woke slowly, dreams of fire thrashing through his veins and gold in his eyes fading slowly from his mind, to the sound of Loki whimpering softly beside him. 

Frowning, Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes, brain struggling to comprehend what was happening until he heard another whimper, felt the tense coil of muscle beneath him, and abruptly sat upright, suddenly wide awake as he looked down upon his fitfully sleeping boyfriend. 

Loki’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut, fingers curled into fists in the blankets, body so tense he was trembling with the effort, whimpers and incomprehensible pleas falling from his lips. 

Immediately, Tony shifted, moving to lean against the headboard and drag Loki carefully between his spread legs, back to chest, his arms wound tightly around the god to keep him from lashing out when he woke.

“Loki, c’mon, babe. I need you to wake up for me.” When nothing happened, Tony merely continued murmuring soft, soothing nothings, slowly but surely urging Loki awake until, with a soft gasp, his eyes flew wide open. 

Immediately, he began to thrash, attempting to free himself from his bindings, until the sound of Tony’s voice filtered through the panic, at which point he abruptly slumped into Tony’s hold, exhausted. 

“There you are, sweetheart,” Tony murmured softly, pressing a kiss to Loki’s sweaty hair. 

Loki tipped his head back to rest against Tony’s shoulder, eyes dull, body still trembling, and whispered, 

“When will I be free?” 

Tony’s heart clenched painfully in his chest, and he merely held his god closer, eyes squeezed shut against the heartbreak and fury alike that the question lit up within him like a spark. 

“Soon, sweetheart. So, very soon. I promise.”

Loki just nodded, pressing his face into Tony’s neck and breathing deeply, slowly, calming himself before murmuring softly. 

“We must get the next gem.” 

“Now?” 

“SHIELD has it- night would be the best time, would it not?” 

“No, yeah, of course-”

“Sir!” JARVIS exclaimed suddenly, voice alarmed and almost frightened. It immediately put Tony on alert, and he sat bolt upright. 

“What? What’s wrong?” 

“There has been a situation at SHIELD HQ- you must get there immediately. It is not…” JARVIS trailed off and when he spoke again, his voice was soft, subdued. Defeated. “No one has survived, sir.” 

Tony felt the bottom of his stomach drop, fear and panic settling heavily in his heart, and he was almost afraid to ask, hands beginning to tremble, voice soft as he asked, “Who, JARVIS? Who was there?” 

“According to my surveillance, sir…” JARVIS hesitated, and Tony snapped fitfully. 

“ _ Who? _ ” 

“The Avengers, sir. Nick Fury, Maria Hill. Hundreds of unnamed SHIELD agents. And…” Another hesitation, before- “Thor, sir. He came with warning of Thanos’s attack, but...it appears he was followed.” 

Tony felt...numb. Lost, frozen to the very core. 

Shock, he thought distantly, fingers clenching and unclenching on empty air. 

Gone. 

All of them. 

Not a single survivor. 

Tony turned his head, his eyes locking on Loki’s, watching the god as he trembled with how tense he was, muscle in his jaw twitching- and Tony knew what was coming before it happened, had just enough time to dive off the bed and onto the floor before Loki was screaming, agony and grief so strong in the sound that Tony felt his heart clench even as he covered his head as ice froze the room rapidly before exploding outwards in a shower of sharp, icy shards. 

Slowly, Tony raised his head up above the edge of the bed, firmly locking his rampant emotions into a box in the back of his mind to be dealt with later, and made his way forward again, ignoring as his knees crunched on ice as he crawled across the bed and pulled his blue, trembling boyfriend into his arms as Loki sobbed, fingers clutching in Tony’s shirt desperately, like a lifeline. 

Watching him, Tony felt his own eyes prick, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, willing them not to fall, blinking rapidly, rocking Loki slowly, whispering sweet nothings to him. 

It took a long, long time before Loki’s tears dried and when they did he sat up, rigid and determined, firmly back in his pale skin, eyes red rimmed and sparking with fury. 

“We must go to the site and see if we can recover the gem, or any clue as to where he would have taken it if he has,” Loki stated calmly and Tony merely nodded, let himself be swept away by Loki’s matter of fact tone, by his command, giving himself in to his boyfriend so he wouldn’t have to deal with his own roiling stomach and grief. 

Slowly, methodically, he dressed, pulling on a tee shirt and jeans, tying on each shoe, before taking Loki’s hand and allowing him to teleport the pair to the site- where he immediately found himself folded on his knees, emptying his dinner in the rubble.

It was...it was a  _ slaughter _ . 

Broken, bleeding bodies, some so torn apart they were barely recognizable as human. 

He saw some of them, too. 

Banner.

Thor. 

Widow. 

Cap. 

Shuddering, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and stood, heart racing, breath too tight in his chest and struggling to get out. 

He paced away, hands pressed into his eyes, shivering, thoughts racing too fast for him to fully comprehend- they would have to contact Aunt Peggy and let her know, there’s no way she would have heard from in there but she  _ deserved _ to know; he would have to find Bruce’s girlfriend, too- what was her name, Betty?- and compensate somehow, as Tony was the whole reason the guy stuck around anyways; Natasha didn’t have any family, he knew that, but still, her funeral would be  _ beautiful _ , he would make sure of that- 

-a hand cool wound around his arm, tugging at him, but he didn’t pay that any mind, he had too much to do- 

-and he wasn’t really sure what to do about Thor, but they would have to alert his parents  _ somehow _ , though Loki could probably do that; and god, Tony would have to tell Clint’s family, too, and how awful would that be? The guy had  _ children _ for fucks sake- 

“Anthony!” A hand slapped at his cheeks and he found himself blinking back to reality, breathing hard, eyes wide, before he just- shook apart, tears running down his cheeks, face pressed into Loki’s chest, hands clutching at Loki’s shirt, desperate for something,  _ anything  _ solid, real, there. 

Loki soothed him gently, hands running through his hair, along his shoulders, down his back, letting him cry, letting him break. 

And slowly, Tony put all the pieces back together, filled in the cemented cracks, rebuilt the walls until he was whole, cracked and crumbled but whole, a bone deep exhaustion warring with grief-fueled determination settling deep in his soul. 

He met Loki’s red rimmed but equally determined eyes with his own and nodded, once, firmly, at the question he saw there, eyes moving back to the bodies of his friends almost of their own accord. 

“We have three. That’s going to have to be enough.” 

“Four.” 

Tony whirled at the voice, feeling himself heat up from the inside out, ready for a fight, but then paused, eyes landing on Strange, who stood somberly among the wreckage, holding out another small box. 

“I felt the attack on the stone, and I knew there was nothing I could do but keep it safe. I portaled in and took it before Thanos could,” Strange explained and Tony couldn’t even find it in himself to question why he didn’t stay, why he didn’t tell them, why he didn’t do more, why he didn’t save them. 

Tony knew enough about survival to know  _ exactly  _ why, which is why he wordlessly took the box and handed it to Loki. 

“Thank you, Stephen,” Loki murmured softly before his arm was once again around Tony and they were teleporting to the lab. 

Immediately, Tony allowed the suit to fold around him, eyes meeting Loki’s as the god allowed his armor to appear on him. 

It was time. 


	12. BEFORE (PART. VI)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! I’m getting antsy, so you know what? We’re so close to the end that I’ll probably finish posting this week!

As Loki’s armor settled snugly around him, he couldn’t help but let his eyes wander back to the broken creature before him, strength writ in every tense line of his body, fire and determination shining in his eyes. 

Loki allowed his own to trace over him, to memorize every wrinkle, every scar, the color of his eyes and the callouses on his hands, the fluidity and strength to his movements, knowing very well that this could be his last time to do so. 

The suit folded seamlessly around Anthony who grinned once, fierce and mad and brilliant, before the man hauled him close and pressed a passionate kiss to Loki’s lips, the heat of him almost too much for Loki’s cooler disposition. 

Loki gentled it onto something kinder, something sweeter, something tender and loving, before finally stepping back, body entirely unwilling to do so. 

“I love you, Anthony.” 

Anthony’s manic grin widened and he said, “I love you too, Snowflake. Now, lets go get rid of Thanos once and for all.”

*******

_ Loki remembered the moment he had realized he had fallen head first into love with Anthony clearly, wholly; remembered the chilly December morning as Anthony was dancing around the room, Christmas lights dangling from his arms as he decided where best to put them, eyeing each window calculatingly even as he sang along to his music, fire crackling gently in the hearth, snow flurries whirling around outside the windows, ornaments from their tree sparkling beneath the light. _

_ It wasn’t, Loki realized, any one thing. _

_ It was a progression of things, a million kisses, a thousand smiles, a hundred fond nicknames, all the things that made up who Anthony was (“Slowly,” Anthony had quoted so many times before, a soft smile on his face. “And then all at once.”). _

_ Watching Anthony that night, a smile quirking his lips and a long forgotten warmth in his heart, it had hit him, suddenly and undeniably. Loki loved Anthony, truly and deeply, a simple fact; but he hadn’t realized, not until that moment. _

_ Oh. _

Oh. 

_ I am in love with him, Loki had realized. _

_ I love him more than the sun loves the moon, I love him more than the flowers love the rain; I love the way he smiles, the way he laughs, the wrinkle to his nose when he dislikes something, the sparkle in his eye when he is curious, the tears clumping his lashes when he is sad, the rigidity to his back when he is speaking to those he does not like, the workman’s callouses on his hands, the sharpness of his tongue. I love him with everything I am. I love him, as I live and breathe, with everything I have been or will ever be. _

Slowy, _ Loki thought, images of tanned muscle writhing beneath him flashing through his mind. _

Slowly, _ with bright blue holograms swirling around him as he expertly crafted his next project. _

Slowly, _ with bouquets of flowers in his hand as he took them to some fancy restaurant or another. _

Slowly, _ with a delicate hand-crafted gold chain dangling from his fingertips. _

Slowly, _ with a velvet box in one hand, folded to one knee in front of him, a joyous smile on his face. _

And then all at once. 

_ With a delighted laugh, Loki had moved, far past being blindsided by his revelation now, wrapping Anthony in his arms and pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek, causing Anthony to laugh happily along with him, dropping the lights to the ground so he could wind his arms around Loki’s neck and press closer. _

_ “Not that I don’t love being pampered, Snowflake, but any particular reason for the sudden intense affection?” Anthony asked, voice teasing, and Loki rolled his eyes fondly. _

_ “No, dear heart- can’t I just pamper you for the sake of being pampered?” _

_ “Well, I certainly won’t argue with that,” Anthony said with a grin in his voice and Loki couldn’t help but match it. _

_ Before Anthony could stop him, Loki scooped his lover into his arms, ignoring his yelp of protest, and carried him off to their bedroom, dropping him down onto the bed before peppering kisses along his neck and down his arm, kissing each finger in turn before moving to the left and kissing each finger there as well, pausing over the golden band with a warm smile before kissing that as well and finally moving up, pressing his lips against Anthony’s, relishing in the way his lover absolutely melted at the touch. _

_ “I love you,” Loki murmured against his lover’s lips and tasted Anthony’s smile in return. _

_ “Well, I should hope so,” Anthony teased, fingers tapping pointedly at Loki’s left hand, before he continued, “but I love you too.” _

_ “Well,” Loki grinned. “I should hope so.” _

_ With a groan, Anthony twisted them deftly, pinning Loki beneath him with a triumphant grin, before leaning down and kissing him passionately, fire heating their bodies, lust clouding their minds, Christmas lights laying forgotten on the living room floor. _

_ *** _

The ship was almost eerily silent as they appeared, but Loki knew his way well, and lead them through the winding pathways of the ship, making sure to keep them well hidden- it would do them no good to be found now. 

Getting the Power Gem was almost too easy but then, Thanos had always been far too confident- why would he need to hide it in his own ship? 

It was settled carefully in a glass case in Thanos’s personal chambers, and Loki had never been more thankful than he was then to see Thanos was not currently there. 

As soon as Anthony had the Power Gem safely tucked away in the hidden compartment in his suit, they slowly made their way to the place Loki knew for certain Thanos would be. 

They had five Gems, now. 

Loki desperately hoped that would be enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it’s rushed. Yes, I’m aware and yes, Loki and Tony are absolutely adorable. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and I’ll see you soon!
> 
> Also, for anyone wondering, the quote “Slowly, and then all at once” is from Fault in our Stars by John Green!


	13. ENDGAME

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, everyone! Second to last chapter! This is where shit goes down! I quite enjoyed writing this chapter and I really liked how it turned out, so I hope you do too!

Thanos sat on his throne, silent, a grin splitting his face, and Tony felt a shudder of fear race down his spine. 

Thanos had already taken so much from them, too much- Tony wouldn’t ever be able to get the images of his slaughtered team from his mind, of Cap’s shattered shield, of Thor’s blood soaked cape, of Widow’s broken body, of Banner’s open and unseeing eyes. 

No, Tony wouldn’t let that fear win today, not if he could help it. 

Thanos couldn’t see them, couldn’t hear them, and Tony knew that, he  _ knew _ that and he trusted Loki’s magic just as much as he trusted the god himself, but logic did not have a place in fear. 

Tony cast a glance at Loki, who was standing stock still beside him, face carefully blank, and couldn’t help but reach out a hand to squeeze his boyfriends soothingly, earning a thankful smile in return, faint but there. 

Tilting his head, Tony swept a hand outwards, a silent question:  _ are you ready? _

And then Loki grinned, cold and furious and beautiful, and threw his hands violently outwards, razing Thanos to the ground with a blinding flash of green. 

Tony smirked as he heard Thanos’s cry of outrage and shock, and spun in the air, darting off through the doorway, trusting Loki to fulfill his part of the plan without getting killed. 

He had to believe that. Had to repeat it, over and over and over again. 

He knew he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to leave if he didn’t. 

*

Loki was the distraction, and he knew how to be a damned good one. 

The fear had wrapped itself heavily around his mind, but the rage and grief had burst through it like it was  _ nothing _ , an eternity’s worth of pain at the hands of this  _ ant _ who dared play a god, surging through his veins like ice, settling into his very bones and urging each furious slash of magic to hit its mark with cutting precision, pushing Thanos back step by agonizingly slow step. 

Good. 

Let him feel the pain that they had felt, that  _ Thor _ had felt. 

It was the absolute least Thanos deserved, and Loki would ensure he felt every hit down to the very core of his being.

The Mad-Titan  _ roared _ when another icy blast of magic cut through his achilles and dropped to one knee, spitting blood, before his eyes lit up with pure, unadulterated fury and he threw himself forward, double edged blade coming up to block Loki’s bursts of magic and re-directing them unto their caster. 

Gritting his teeth against the assault, Loki doubled the strength of his attack, attempting to push forward and gain traction once more, but was forced to take a step back as Thanos advanced; and then another, and another. 

*

Finding the control room proved to be far more difficult for Tony than it should have. 

After Loki had dropped the spell hiding them, all hell had broken loose- Chitauri were running around like headless chickens, desperately trying to find their attacker and even firing on some of their own in their confusion. 

It was easy, almost too easy, to cut them down. 

Oh, they were almost overwhelming in numbers, that was true, but one well placed miniature bomb and they were done. 

With Thanos distracted and his children off world as they continued to search for the gems, there was no one to control them, no one to guide them; only their pre-existing orders. 

But the closer Tony got to the control room, more of them appeared until there were  _ hoards _ of them, practically crawling over each other to get to him, the shiny red beacon in the drab gray halls of Thanos’s ship. 

Still, Tony pressed forward, placing the explosives as he went, firing repulsor blasts and shoulder lasers to clear his path, and threw himself into the fray, swallowed up by their numbers in seconds. 

*

Loki’s magic was weakening. 

Thanos was almost effortless now in his deflections of Loki’s magic, and the manic grin spreading across the Mad-Titan’s face showed he knew it, too. 

Which meant Plan Z would have to come into effect, something Loki had desperately been hoping to avoid even though he  _ knew _ it would work. The repercussions of aforementioned plan, however, had the potential to be much stronger than they could endure. 

It was a risk Loki was only willing to take if he had no other choice, and it was quickly looking like he would not. 

A stray dagger of his own magic was flung backwards and embedded in his thigh, and he snarled in rage and pain, letting the green blade dissolve before summoning up another one- this time, though, this time his hands bled blue, the cold seeping into his skin as he crafted a wicked, curved blade half a foot long, gleaming beneath the lights of the ship, of pure ice. 

Loki dropped his magic and allowed his Jotun form to cover him fully, pale skin bleeding into blue with raised, intricate lines; green eyes fading into crimson, a dark grin splitting his face and revealing sharpened canines, small horns sprouting from beneath the wild locks of his hair. 

And the monster was  _ free _ . 

Loki tossed his head back and laughed cruelly before throwing himself forward, blade ready to go for the kill, blood singing victories in his veins as Plan Z was officially enacted with a blood soaked battle cry. 

Oh, this was how they would win, and all it had taken was a snap decision on Loki’s part. 

One single, snap decision. 

That was all it took. 

A snap.

And the war was won. 

*

They were dead. 

Every single Chitauri that had been between Tony and his goal had been utterly decimated, and he couldn’t even bring himself to care about how many lives he had taken  _ (not now, not yet), _ stepping past blood and guts and things he probably didn’t ever want to know about, finally getting into the control room. 

And then he cut power to the entire ship, frying its backup generators, sending the hovering ship crashing into Titan’s ground. 

With the Chitauri and the power taken care of, leaving Thanos without his army and without his ship, Tony flew back to the room he had left Loki in, a wide grin on his face. 

Where it froze, giving way to an icy sort of confusion as he stared, dumbfounded, at the scene before him. 

Thanos, grinning victoriously, spitting purple blood while standing in the wreckage of his own ship, Titan’s dreary sunlight filtering in behind him through the shattered windows and billowing dust, illuminating him in an eerie light. 

And at his feet in a pool of dark blue blood, eyes open and unseeing, body gray and dull, was Loki. 

For a moment, there was nothing but confusion and a heavy sort of numbness that froze his limbs, eyes on Loki’s still body. 

Slowly, Tony stepped out of the suit. Clenched his single gauntleted hand into a fist. Unclenched. Stared. Processed. 

Clenched. 

And then came the anger. 

Pure, incandescent rage, scorching through his veins, burning him from the inside out and setting his eyes alight, hands burning golden-red, blazing so hot and bright that Thanos took a step back, something akin to fear flashing through his eyes, there and gone in a second but most importantly  _ there,inescapable, exploitable.  _

_ Checkmate. _

It was as if the dam had been broken, and any chain that had been holding Tony back  _ shattered _ , so suddenly and intensely that he could barely breathe past the rage and grief curling around his heart, and he threw himself forward, dodging Thanos’s startled, hasty swing with his blade and letting extremis heat him to the very core, surrounding the Mad-Titan in a circle of roaring flames. 

Thanos snarled, both in pain and anger, and shot through the flames, snuffing out the few that clung to him.

And so the dance began. 

Back and forth, hit after hit, some landing and some not, nothing but rage and pain and determination fuelling them, neither stopping until a distant explosion rocked the ground. 

Tony paused, grinned manically as Thanos stilled in shock, gaze drawn to the flaming ruins of his ship behind them, the broken walls of their makeshift arena shuddering as another explosion shook the air around them. 

“Cry ‘Havoc,’” Tony snarled his borrowed words, dripping with venom, a bloody grin splitting his face as another explosion caused the walls to crack. “And let slip the dogs of war.”

One final explosion, and the walls around them crumbled to the ground. 

Thanos cast his gaze around, taking in the destroyed remains of his ship, of his army, of his home world, before the anger came back tenfold and he was on Tony, no longer playing any games, every swipe of his blade taken to cause the maximum amount of damage. 

And that was when Tony knew he was going to die.

So he fought back with just as much vigor and little care to his own wellbeing, fuelled only by his own agony and rage, resolutely keeping the fight away from Loki’s body, the pair of them advancing on one another, one step at a time, until there was barely a foot of space between them  _ (need to get close, need to finish this, one last stand) _ , until there was only heat and fire and the clash of metal. 

Thanos was saying something, something Tony could barely hear past the anger and adrenaline and pain making his heart pound loudly in his ears, an unsteady staccato, but he kept his focus on the fight instead of the words. 

Maybe he should have known, after what Thanos said. 

The grief made Tony sloppy, made him desperate, and he knew it would, he was prepared for his own carelessness that came with blue blood and empty eyes and gray skin, but he wasn’t prepared for the  _ pain _ . 

It hit him suddenly, agony spiralling through his chest and radiating outwards and he was wet,  _ why was he wet _ , why couldn’t he move, why couldn’t he breathe, and  _ oh god, please, it hurts, please,  _ why... _ oh.  _

He’d forgotten the blade was double sided. 

And that was all it had taken. A moment of forgetfulness. Of Weakness. Of grief. 

That was all Thanos had needed. 

One single, snap decision. 

A snap. 

That was all it took. 

And the war was lost. 

“Thank you,” Thanos drawled, eyeing the infinity gauntlet on Tony’s uselessly hanging hand with a desperate hunger. “For gathering these for me.” 

*

Loki watched, silent, invisible, undetectable. 

He had not wanted to do this, he knew Anthony may not forgive him, but he also knew Anthony’s pain would drive him- them- to their victory. 

So, Loki stood and watched, felt shock jolt through him when Anthony’s eyes and hands blazed, his veins alight with fox-fire, an odd mixture of confusion, worry and pride soaring through him at the sight. 

It was at that moment that Loki knew, really truly  _ knew _ , that they would win. 

And then. 

And then Thanos spit victoriously, “I am inevitable.”

And then.

And then

_ t _

_ _ _ i _

_ _ _ _ _ m _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ e _ _ _ _ _

_ s _

_ _ _ l _

_ o _ _ _

_ _ _ w _

_ e _

_ d _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ d _

_ _ _ _ _ o _

_ w _

_ n _

_ . _

Fear washed through Loki, paralyzing in its intensity, freezing him to his very core as surprise passed over Anthony’s face when the blade tore through his chest- 

_ the man laughed in delight, tossing his head back to expose the muscled line of his throat, bright eyes wrinkling at the corners, callused fingers coming up to splay over his chest  _

-the first wash of blood spilled down Anthony’s chest and pooled darkly around his feet, staining the dirt red-

_ their legs tangled together beneath the sheets, pressing them together so wholly that there was not even an inch of space between them _

-Anthony’s eyes widened with pain and shock, fingers coming up to scrabble uselessly at his chest, gauntlet clanking loudly against the blade- _ _

_ anthony grinned sharply, something cold and dangerous hovering at the cracked edges of his sanity, red and gold reflecting brightly in his eyes _

-before the man crashed to his knees, the blade coming free with a wet squelching noise, Anthony’s body hitting the ground with a dull thump-

_ anthony shrieked from the cold and danced around, attempting to remove the snow, and Loki laughed openly _

-and Thanos bent, reaching for the gauntlet, ready to pull it from Anthony’s lifeless body while Loki stood uselessly, uncomprehendingly, unable to move, to breathe-

_ kissing each finger in turn before moving to the left and kissing each finger there as well, pausing over the golden band with a warm smile _

-and Thanos’s moment of triumph was broken by wet, heaving laughter from the blood spattered body at his feet. 

Thanos stumbled backwards, confusion and a flicker of fear on his face and Loki froze, felt hope squeeze its way into the dark recesses of his mind, almost crushing him beneath its intensity. 

Slowly, Anthony staggered to his feet, a necklace dangling from his fingers and Thanos’s lips parted in shock, hand flying up towards his neck and finding nothing but air. 

Anthony smirked, crushed the container in his palm, and settled the final gem into its cradle within the gauntlet.

And then Anthony laughed and laughed and laughed, and Loki could not help the fear that shivered down his spine at the wild, broken sound, even as he discovered he was unable take his eyes away from his lover. 

This was his Anthony, entirely unhinged. 

A manic grin pulled his lips too wide around bloodied teeth, his chest glowed brilliantly with fox-fire where his death once sat, the colors of the gems chased each other through his veins, and his eyes were blazing, flickering with fire and rainbow kaleidoscopes of color. 

He was  _ magnificent _ . 

“And I,” Anthony rasped, spitting blood. “Am,” he continued, raising his gauntleted hand directly in front of Thanos, who had gone utterly still, defeated, head bowed upon the smoldering ruins of his legacy. 

“Ironman.”

A breath.

A split second.

A moment.

A heartbeat.

A Snap.

And then Thanos was crumbling into dust, and the world burst into green. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a kudos or a comment to let me know what you think! I’m really happy with how this chapter turned out, and tomorrow I will post the last one to finally finish things up!


	14. BEFORE (PART -I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter! Very proud of this one, hope you enjoy!

Tony looked around, nursing his fourth- fifth?- scotch, eyes scanning the room. 

So, okay, Tony couldn’t know for sure he was coming. 

It had been hours since this thing started, and no one had ever said _ who _ exactly the foreign politicians were, but Tony had illegally hacked SHIELD for this, okay, and the pictures were pretty damn telling, even if they were blurry and way too far away to see any deciding features (even so, Tony would know that profile _ anywhere _). 

Sighing, Tony shook his head and tipped his drink down his throat, ignoring the burn as it went down, before making his way towards the door, glancing down at his phone as he typed out a quick message to Pepper to let her know he was leaving, already mentally preparing for the chew out he would get it, which was why he was so woefully unprepared to run into an immovable rock wall of a person, and was sent crashing painfully to the ground. 

“Ow, fuck!” he yelped, glaring up at the person who had so rudely run into him, and freezing when he saw who it was, when he saw _ him. _

A dozen different emotions crashed through him, most of which he couldn’t identify, some of which caused his breath to tighten almost painfully in his chest, all of which screamed _ mine _ , his heart swelling with hope, eyes searching the others face for something, _ anything _ that would hint at familiarity or recognition, finding nothing even though he knew he wouldn’t, even though he was prepared for it. But preparation did nothing, not when he was trapped beneath a familiar intense gaze. 

“Do try to watch where you’re going,” the other man sniffed haughtily, a distinctly unimpressed look in his eyes. 

“Wha- me?” That at least snapped Tony out of his initial shock at seeing him here, now (_ finally _), though he still stumbled momentarily over his words as he struggled to get his bearings back. “I need to- no, no, you’re the fuckin’ giant, you watch where you’re going.” And, because he couldn’t help himself, because he knew Loki couldn’t either, he grumbled, “No respect, these damn politicians.” 

“I assure you, I am no politician,” the other man said with a shark-like grin. “Diplomat, if you must.”

Tony grinned, hands tucking into his pockets as he shifted back a bit to really take him in. 

_ Oh, how I’ve missed you. _

Loki looked good.

Really, really good, actually. The haunted look in his eyes from- well, from before, was missing, as were the perpetual dark smudges beneath them. He was wearing a solid black suit that he filled out nicely, hair a bit shorter than Tony was used to and slicked back neatly, a healthy flush to his pale cheeks and- gods, Tony wanted nothing more than to grab his face and kiss him senseless. 

It hit him like a brick, sudden and painful, just how much he loved the person standing before him. 

_ Slowly, and then all at once. _

Loki’s own eyes ran over Tony, not hungrily or fondly, not like he would have before, but it was _ something _, and Tony was willing to take anything right now. 

“Diplomat, huh?” Tony asked, voice pitched lower to compensate for the emotions threatening to break through. “Well, that I can get on board with. What do I call you, sweetheart?” Dammit, dammit, chill with the nicknames. 

Loki made a face, nose scrunching adorably, and Tony felt his heart clench at the familiarity of it. 

“Certainly not that,” Loki snapped. You may call me Luke. Luke Silverstone.” He motioned to his name tag pointedly, clearly calling Tony an idiot without having to voice it. 

“Luke, huh?” Tony asked with a grin, couldn’t help but add, “I think we both know that’s not your real name, though, don’t we?”

Tony watched as Loki tensed, anger and suspicion lighting his eyes, and silently cursed himself. 

“Excuse me?” Loki asked coldly, and Tony scrambled hastily for an answer, for an excuse, laughing a bit to cover up his panic. 

“No, no,” Tony said finally. “Not laughing at you, I swear. Well, okay, maybe a little. You just-” He waved a hand aimlessly, figuring mystery was the best way to go, the best way to draw Loki in without him realizing something was off. “Nothing, no, nevermind. Well, when you figure it out…” Tony pulled his empty name tag from his pocket and scribbled quickly on it before folding it in half and handing it over to the cautious god, who took it after a moment of deliberation, tucking it into his pocket. 

_ You know who I am, _ he’d said, but Loki didn’t, not in this timeline, not _ yet _. 

“Don’t look so scared,” Tony said with a grin and a wink. “It won’t explode or anything, I promise. I know I have a reputation, but I’m really not that bad.” 

“Oh?” Loki merely raised a brow. 

“Oh yeah, things only explode about seventeen percent of the time in my presence,” Tony said with a serious nod. 

“That...isn’t entirely comforting,” Loki said and Tony chuckled. 

“Oh, I like you,” he drawled, pushing every bit of truth into it he could without being overbearing.

“Lucky me,” Loki said, rolling his eyes. 

“You should feel that way,” Tony said with a chuckle. “But really, I’d love to talk shop. It’s not often I get to meet off-worlders, and I’d love to discuss magic with you. Which, by the way, I absolutely do not believe is in any way, shape or form related to science, understood or no, thank you very much. But if it is, by any chance, even a little bit related to what I do, I’ll figure it out.” _ Draw him in. _

Loki’s eyes widened in shock and flickered a bright, ethereal green for just a moment, a second, a heartbeat, long enough to set Tony’s heart both racing with anticipation and aching with familiarity and want. 

“Very few mortals can...do what I do,” Loki murmured, soft and slow, cautious as ever. 

Tony couldn’t help but laugh in delight, chest aching, tossing his head back, because of _ course _ Loki would say that; it was such a _ Loki _thing to say that Tony had to laugh, otherwise he might cry. 

“Don’t you worry about that, sweetheart.” Tony grinned, soft and dangerous and chaotic, and because Loki had always loved a good mystery, because now was the time for Tony to draw him in and make an escape before he did something stupid like kiss him or confess his undying love or tell him the _ truth _, so he added, “Not many can do what I do, either.” 

And with that, Tony disappeared into the crowd, letting it close behind him, hide him, hide the emotion welling in his eyes. 

He offered a kind smile and a brief nod as he passed by Nat and Steve, who were dancing together, smile widening as it was returned in kind. 

He gave a squeeze to Bruce’s shoulder as he passed him at the bar, met Thor’s eye from across the room as he attempted to woo Jane, tossed the ball back to Clint’s kid when it rolled too far away and smiled at the mouthed “thank you” from Clint. 

Finally, he was able to make his way out of the gala, tipping his head back to embrace the chill of the night, pretending for just a moment that it was Loki’s cool arms wrapping around him and not the wind. 

Later, Loki would find him, and they would talk for hours about nothing, about everything, sharing meals and sharing drinks and sharing unimportant stories. 

Later, Tony would rock his hips into Loki’s, nose along the pale expanse of bared throat, tangle his fingers in inky hair, suck marks into sensitive inner thighs, press kisses across sharp collar bones, careful not to let their lips meet even as they gasped their pleasure together. 

Later, Loki would wrap himself around Tony, sweaty and sated, and ask for his story. 

Tony is strong, he always has been, he’s made of iron and fire and will, but Loki has always managed to tear down his defenses like paper, so Tony will tell him, just like he always does, just like he always will.

Loki doesn’t believe him, not at first, and why would he? Tony’s story is terrible, horrifying, gut wrenching, awe inspiring; a story of a god and a human who fight through impossible odds for the universe, for the world, for themselves; a story of monsters and gemstones and unimaginable fear; a story of two people who fall in love at the worst possible time, who scream and kick and claw their way back together every time, always, because that’s what love is, because that’s what _ they _are.

Later, Tony will straddle Loki’s naked thighs and cup his flushed cheeks and press their foreheads together and he’ll whisper, desperate and broken and painfully hopeful, 

“Kiss me,” he’ll whisper, eyes open wide and shining, laid bare before his god. “Kiss me, and you’ll remember. Kiss me, and you’ll love me again. Kiss me, and we can finally be _ us _.” 

And then Loki will soothe a hand down his back and catch his lips without hesitation, without fear, and Loki will _ remember _. 

But, right now, Tony was content to wait for all of that. 

Walking down the street with snow flurries swirling around him, the cool wind caressing him like his lovers arms, sifting through memories of a life that he had made sure would never happen and the one he made sure _ would, _the one he would always hold onto, he couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips. 

This is how they would happen, across every timeline, across every universe; this is how they would fall in love, unequivocally and irrevocably. 

This was _ them _, every single time without fail. Tony knew it in his heart, in his bones, down to his very soul. 

_ Slowly, _ Tony thought with a smile, turning as he heard a voice calling out to him, his own eyes locking with curious emerald green ones, _ and then all at once. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay!  
So for those of you who may be confused: 
> 
> When Tony had the gauntlet, he made a split second decision based off of the information he had at the time- one, Loki was dead. Two, the Avengers were dead. He knew there could not be a world where the Avengers no longer existed, and he knew he couldn’t live in a world where he didn’t have Loki. So when he snapped Thanos and his children away, he created a new reality. One where Thanos never existed. 
> 
> All of the BEFORE chapters/scenes in this fic have actually been their life in that other reality, the life they got to live happily together, the life Tony created. 
> 
> Yes, some of those scenes match up with events that were happening during their current time line. Yes, it was intentional. No, those BEFORE scenes were not actually things that had occurred before the Battle of New York. 
> 
> Those scenes were their life, plain and simple, in a time where Tony made sure Thanos wouldn’t exist. 
> 
> And...wow. It’s over. I’m happy we’re finally here and I really, truly hope you enjoyed this. Please, leave a comment if you did! I cherish them. 
> 
> If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
> 
> Thank you all for joining me for this and taking the time out of your day to read and comment.
> 
> “Slowly, and then all at once” quote by John Green, from the Fault in Our Stars.
> 
> “Cry Havoc” quote by Shakespeare, from Julius Ceaser

**Author's Note:**

> I will try to keep updates steadily posting once a week but I'll admit I'm very bad about keeping a schedule! Your comments and kudos keep me motivated, though, so please leave some! Seriously, I love reading them and try to reply to all of them!
> 
> I want to thank all of you for taking the time out of your day to read this and can't wait to share more with you!


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